


Show Me What I'm Looking For

by NovelCarrington



Category: Chris Evans - Fandom, Real Person Fiction
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-16 19:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 61,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4638231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovelCarrington/pseuds/NovelCarrington
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A single mother and her child have a chance encounter with Chris Evans/Captain America<br/>Their lives are all changed and it is not always good</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> PROLOGUE:  
> It was a beautiful day – the sun was shining and not a cloud in sight. The sun provided a warm glow to the landscape. A day like this would generally bring a smile to her face. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an ordinary day. Today she wanted cold and damp with dark skies and gloomy clouds. She wanted to be alone, under the covers and away from people. She was broken and the sun was making it worse. She had tried so hard to not let them see her cry – to let them think she was stoic and strong. But the damn sun made the tears on her face glisten and allowed everyone to see them clearly.
> 
> She was in the room, but not fully cognizant of her surroundings. She tried to stay clear of the people gathered in the living room; but even off by herself she could feel their watchful stares and hear their whispers which sounded like insects buzzing about. She just wanted them all to leave but she didn’t even have the energy to tell them to get out. Instead, she just sat staring into the distance and tried to contemplate her new normal.
> 
> After a while, everyone left the house and she was alone. Well, actually there was someone else in the house but she really did feel alone. She realized that she could not just sit in the chair for the remainder of her life. She stood up, straightened her dress, wiped her tears and vowed that she would move forward, somehow.

It was a typical Monday morning; everyone was buzzing with chatter of what had transpired over the weekend while trying to prepare for the early morning staff meeting. The usual banter and chatter never bothered Harper McDonald, but today was a little different; her workload was out of this world, and the stress of her personal life was beginning to take its toll. She refused to bring it into the office, she never talked about it with anyone; instead, she plastered on a smile and tried to pretend as if her weekends and social life were ‘normal.’

She had arrived at the office a little early, hoping to bypass some of the chatter and finish the proof of a significant deal before the meeting started. She had fifteen minutes to get this done; head down and in the zone, the time flew by and she missed the meeting alert to remind her to leave. Her concentration was broken when Max, her boss, leaned into her office.

“So, did you decide to skip my meeting this morning?” Max asked with a hint of sarcasm and a million-dollar grin. Max Kinkaid was the owner of Kinkaid Development, the company where Harper worked. He was a charming man, brilliant, and too handsome for his own good. He had hired Harper shortly after she moved to town and quickly realized that she had talent and could be trusted.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, “Oh! I am sorry I was so engrossed in this contract, I lost track of time. Let me just get this stuff together; I’m so sorry,” she sputtered and began shuffling papers on her desk. While he was a good man, Max made her nervous; she respected his position, but she could never tell if he was completely serious or if he was just yanking her chain.

“Whoa, hey, I’m just giving you a hard time. I was walking to the conference room, saw you in your office and figured you lost track of time,” he approached her desk, noticing she appeared to be frazzled. Suddenly it occurred to him that his words might have upset her, “You gonna be alright?”

Harper stood straight up and looked into Max’s eyes, “Oh, sure, I’m fine. You know, I just hate to be late. Now I’m not only late, but I’ve made you late for your own meeting. Sorry about that.”  
  
“Oh, quit apologizing, it’s not that big of a deal! C’mon and walk in with me so we can be late together,” he flashed that grin and Harper fell into step with him for the short walk to the conference room.

~ * ~  
Luckily no one mentioned that Harper was late, or the fact that she walked in with Max. The office, like most, was a grist mill for gossip, and she knew that her interactions with Max were a topic of conversation. While all of her interactions were nothing but professional, none of that mattered when it came to office gossip; people would say what they wanted regardless of whether there was an ounce of truth to it. Harper had always worked hard and expected that her career advancements would be due to her talent and hard work paying off; she just hoped that it would be seen that way and not because she was friendly with the boss or because of what might be deemed as inappropriate behavior.

It was common for her to lock herself in her office and plow through the work on her desk; today was no different. It was also common for her to jet out of the office right at 5:00; this never went unnoticed. Her coworkers talked about her behind her back, the fact that she would leave right at five and never seemed to take any work home. She never popped up online late at night, and no one received emailed from her at odd hours as they did from other associates. She was a salaried associate, and that meant you put in as much time as needed to get the work done. She used to work more than fifty hours a week and several months ago, it all stopped, and now she worked a strict forty-hour work week. She knew it was a matter of time before Max or any of the other principals in the company called her on it.

Traffic, this time of night, was a nightmare; she tried to speed as best she could, but it always seemed like the faster she wanted to drive, the slower the cars around her went. On a good day, she could get from the suburbs to downtown Boston in 45 minutes. Tonight, she was 60 minutes in and still had miles to go. Most likely there was an accident ahead; she knew she should pray that there were no injuries, but all she wanted was for it to be cleared so she could get moving.

It took 20 minutes to get the final few miles. She finally pulled into the parking garage of Mass General Hospital for Children and ran to the elevator. She was late for dinner, and she was pretty sure that she looked quite wearied. She used the elevators doors as a mirror to try and straighten her appearance; from fixing her hair to straightening out her skirt and blouse the best she could. When the doors opened with a ding, she quickly walked down the hall towards room 4560.

As she opened the door, she saw the fragile little boy hugging his teddy bear, fighting to stay awake. Aiden McDonald was the light of her life; at seven years old he was not supposed to be lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life. It broke her heart to see him like this but at least she knew he made it through another day; one day at a time, that was the motto she had to live by these days. Leaving him alone all day was not her choice, but using FMLA would be a financial strain. Unpaid time off from work did not fit the budget when you were a single parent and had bills to pay. She had vacation time but had it banked if Aiden’s treatments didn’t work, and she needed to be there for…well, she didn’t like to think about what that meant.

She quietly walked into his room, not wanting to wake him. She kissed him on the forehead, and he stirred, rolling his head to look and her, opening his eyes wide, “Hi, mommy!” Her eyes lit up, she loved the sound of his voice, even if it was soft and raspy due to his treatments.

She never spoke to him as if he were fragile or sick, preferring to talk to him like he was a ‘normal’ child and not defined by his illness, “Hi, pumpkin, how are you feeling today?”

Aiden struggled to sit up; he had a gleam in his eye and was excited to say, “Guess what? I had a visitor,” there was excitement building in Aiden’s voice, “Mom, Captain America was here! He talked to me and gave me a shield, and it was awesome!”

“Whoa, really? Captain America was here?” She tried to match his enthusiasm, it just wasn’t possible. “I guess you were lucky that you were wearing your Captain America pajamas today!”

“Yeah, he thought they were really cool!” But you know what the best part was? He didn’t make any comment about me not having hair!”

Harper had a hard time holding back the tears when he said that; it seems so small, but for a sick child to be treated as if nothing was wrong, well it’s a huge deal. Aiden had been teased quite a bit when he first started losing his hair, and he had been embarrassed when Harper suggested just shaving it all off. She had told him he looked cool, but he didn’t buy it. So for Captain America to not say anything bad about him not having hair, it made it a red letter day in her book.

She pulled herself together so she could respond, “Well, it would have been rude for him to say something and it would have meant he was just jealous at how handsome you are!”

There was a knock on the door and the dinner car was rolled in. The orderly put Aiden’s tray on the table and lowered it in front of him. Harper thanked him and then sat down to help her son eat. The drugs had made him so weak that it made even the simple task of holding a spoon, almost impossible. The drugs also made it hard for him to eat or to even have an appetite; the issue tonight was that he would not eat because he could not quit talking about Captain America.  
This visit was literally the best drug he could have received; although Harper had doubts as to who had actually visited him. She had watched stories online where window washers or delivery people dressed up as superheroes to cheer up the kids. She figured maybe someone was dressed up to bring something in his room and just chatted for a minute when he noticed Aiden’s pajamas.

Their dinner conversation with interrupted by a ringing telephone. Harper checked her phone, and it wasn’t ringing. It wasn’t the hospital phone either. She began to look around and noticed a phone on the other bedside table, a misplaced cell phone. She didn’t recognize it, she didn’t answer it, that would not be polite, but she did pick it up to look at it. The screen didn’t give away who might own the phone and she didn’t recognize the name or the number calling.

“That must be Captain America’s phone, mom! He must have left it here; we have to get it back to him,” Aiden was suddenly concerned as to how Captain America would live without his cell phone.

“Don’t worry I’ll take it to the nurses’ station, and I’m sure they can get it back to him. I bet he knows it’s missing and will come back looking for it,” Harper put the phone down on the table where she had been sitting and tried to get Aiden to finish eating. He was done and put his head back on the pillow and began to drift off to sleep; the excitement of the day finally catching up with him.

Harper slowly stood, hoping not to make any noise as she moved across the room. She quietly opened the door and walked out into the hallway towards the nurses’ station. “Hi, Becky, I am sorry to bother you, but someone left a phone in Aiden’s room earlier today. He swears that Captain America came to visit him today, not sure what that is all about but whoever it was, I think they left it behind.”

“Oh, thank goodness you found this! Chris has been calling us for the last two hours trying to figure out if he left the phone up here; he’s been freaking out! He is probably on his way here.” Just as she finished her sentence, the elevator dinged, and Harper was hypnotized by the man who was starting to walk towards her.

“Chris, your phone has been found!” Becky exclaimed when she saw him walking down the hall. He immediately took off into a sprint towards the nurses’ station.

“Thank God! I knew it was up here somewhere; which room did I leave it in?”

Harper gathered herself and cleared her throat, “Room 4560, Aiden McDonald’s room. It rang when he was having dinner, that’s how we knew was there. We didn’t answer it or anything,” she felt as if she needed to make sure he was aware of that, “My apologies for not letting the nurses know earlier so that they could relay the message to you.”

“Well, I appreciate it, thanks. Um, Aiden, the little boy with the Captain America pajamas right?” Chris said as he looked at Harper square in the eyes; he was mesmerized. She had big, emerald-green eyes and he could get lost just staring at them; he could not help but smile at her.

Harper was shocked, “Yes, that’s right, how did you remember that? “

“Are you kidding? He would be hard to forget! He’s a huge Captain America fan. I think he was my best reaction all day, his little face just lit up when I walked in. He was my favorite visit all day even though I’m not supposed to say that,” Chris was a little sheepish as the words came out of his mouth.

“Yeah, you spent more time with him than any of the other kids. But, I’m not surprised, Chris,” Becky chimed in, “He is a sweet little boy and the favorite of every nurse on this ward. But we do overlook his love of a particular superhero, though,” she said with a smirk and a giggle; Chris just shot her a dirty look.

Harper had the feeling she should not be listing to this conversation. It sounded like the banter between a boyfriend and girlfriend, and she was suddenly uncomfortable. The problem was, she was lost in the deep melody of this handsome stranger’s voice. It wasn’t just his voice, he was incredibly beautiful, and he seemed so kind. She was not generally attracted to men with facial hair, but this man’s beard and his mussed hair had her captivated, she was struggling to breathe at the moment.

“Wow, I’m incredibly rude! Here I am carrying on this conversation, and I’ve never formally introduced myself,” Chris said as he stuck out his hand to Harper, “Hi, I’m Chris Evans.”

Harper shook his hand, “Hi Chris, Harper McDonald, I’m Aiden’s mother.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. Wow, is that tacky for me to say in this situation?”

“No I wouldn’t say it’s tacky; rude or insensitive, maybe,” Harper said with a soft chuckle. “Seriously, though, thank you for taking the time to visit with Aiden. He only has me to interact with outside of the doctors and nurses so it gave him a nice change. Although he didn’t mention that you were there today, only just that Captain America stopped by. Becky, are hallucinations a side effect of these new drugs?”

Chris let out a laugh and flashed an amazing smile that Harper could not get enough of, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just, I guess you haven’t seen the Captain America movies?”

“Um, actually, no, I haven’t. Aiden has watched them numerous times, but I have never watched them. I’ve had no interest in seeing them, I’m not into the comic superhero thing.”

Chris put his hand over his heart and acted as if he was wounded by her words. Becky, the nurse at the station who had not moved during the exchange, began laughing hysterically. Harper was confused so she asked, “What am I missing?”

Becky quit laughing and looked at her seriously, “Harper, you have no idea who you have been talking to do you?” Harper slowly shook her head no. “This is Chris Evans, he’s an actor. Specifically, the actor who plays Captain America in those movies!” As Becky explained, Chris smirked and looked at Harper to see the realization hit her.

Harper wanted to crawl into a hole and hide; she could feel her face turning 50 shades of red, “Oh! Wow, don’t I feel like a fool? I’m sorry Mr. Evans, I apologize for not knowing that.” Chris reached out and put his hand on Harper’s shoulder. His touch electrified her, she was embarrassed for not knowing who he was and excited that such a handsome man was actually touching her.

“It’s okay, I actually like the fact that you didn’t know who I was. I don’t get that much anymore now that I’m in the Marvel movies.”

“Ok, that makes me feel worse. Your picture is everywhere, but I didn’t know it was you! I haven’t seen the Marvel movies, and I guess I just wasn’t paying attention,” Harper knew that Chris was trying to make her feel better, but she just kept feeling worse.

“Harper, I think it threw you off because Chris has a beard. Captain America is clean shaven so you probably just didn’t recognize him,” Becky offered, in the hopes that it would alleviate some of the embarrassment.

“Well, yeah, maybe, again, I am sorry Chris. I really do appreciate that you took time out of your schedule to visit with Aiden, it really brightened his day. For all that he’s been through, that means the world to me. So, thank you! And, I’m glad we were able to help you find your phone,” Harper turned and made a hasty retreat into Aiden’s room.

Chris watched her leave, “Shit, Becky, we made her feel bad.” He turned to face the nurse they had been chatting with, “She didn’t need us laughing at her. I should go in there and apologize, right? I mean, she seems like a lovely woman.”

“She is a big girl Chris, she’ll be okay. Besides, this took her mind off of Aiden for more than 5 minutes, and she needed that more than anything.”

Chris shook his head and thanked Becky for helping to get his phone back. He began to walk to the elevator, he couldn’t help but look back one more time at the door to room 4560. He had enjoyed meeting Aiden earlier in the day, and now he was intrigued by his mother. He was sure he would have a hard time forgetting her.

~ * ~  
Harper could not get back into Aiden’s room quick enough; she was thoroughly embarrassed that she did not realize she was talking to the star of her son’s favorite movie. Worse than that, she admitted that she let her son watch a movie that she had never even seen! Chris must have thought she was a fool, and she was sure that Becky, Aiden’s nurse thought she was an idiot.

As Harper watched Aiden sleep, she tried to push the encounter with Chris out of her mind. If only it were that easy. He was handsome, ridiculously so. His voice, so smooth and sexy; he had a great laugh, and he seemed genuinely nice. How could she not think that? He remembered Aiden’s name and recalled visiting with him, movie stars don’t do that. It was not entirely plausible that she would have mistaken him for a “regular” guy. Nope! She was still an idiot. And to top it off, she had not even believed Aiden when he said that Captain America had been there.

Sometime during the night, in between watching Aiden sleep and talking to herself about what a fool she was, Harper had dozed off. She was startled awake when the nurse came into the room to check on Aiden.

“Sorry Harper, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Claudia offered as she checked Aiden’s vitals.

“No, it is okay, I need to get up. What time is it anyway?”

“It is 6 am.”

“Crap, I should have set my alarm so I could have had time to get back to the apartment to get ready for work there. I guess I’ll have to get ready here today.”

“I just hate that you have to run around so much. It is horrible that your boss won’t give you any time off,” Claudia immediately regretted saying something, she shook and hung her head in embarrassment. “Look, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything, it really isn’t my place.”  
  
Harper reached out and put her hand on Claudia’s, “It’s alright, I appreciate your concern. I honestly haven’t shared Aiden’s situation with anyone in my office. I had talked to HR early on and found out about FMLA, but I can’t afford unpaid time off,” Harper pulled her hand back and stood up straight, not wanting to appear weak or vulnerable. “Aiden is hanging in there right now. The Doctor has said he sees signs of improvement, and it is better for me to work and keep my mind busy instead of sitting here and watching him sleep all day. I’m sure that makes me sound horrible, though.”  
  
“No, it doesn’t make you a bad mother. I do understand, and it wouldn’t do you any good to sit here all day while he sleeps. You are here for him every day, and this boy adores you. Although it might be a tight race between you and Captain America, to be honest.” Claudia said with a snicker.

“Oy! Becky told you?”

“Yeah, she actually told everyone! Don’t feel bad, though, I didn’t recognize him either, and I saw the movie!”

Harper laughed as she headed to the bathroom while Claudia finished up with Aiden. Harper finished her shower and got ready for work. She went back into the room and spent a few minutes with her son; letting him know she loved him and would be thinking of him all through the day. She then gave him a soft kiss on his head and headed out for the office; she just prayed for a smooth and uneventful day.

~ * ~  
The Evans house was alive with activity, breakfast was being made, and the chatter of kids could be heard as Chris came bounding down the stairs and made his way into the kitchen. His mom was at the stove, cooking breakfast while his sister, Carly, was busy making plates for her boys Ethan and Miles. Carly’s daughter, Stella, was in the highchair with Cheerios spread all over the tray.   
Chris kissed each one of the kids on the head, and then moved to the cabinet and retrieved a cup to pour himself a cup of coffee, “Good morning family unit.”

“Wow, someone is in an awfully good mood this morning!” Carly exclaimed as she turned to look at Chris over her shoulder, “Did you have a particularly good night last night?”

“Chris, didn’t you go to the children’s hospital yesterday? How did that go?” His mother had asked before he could answer his sister’s question.

“As a matter of fact, I did have a good night, Carly. I lost my phone, but when I found it, I met a beautiful woman. Before you ask, no, I don’t know if I’ll see her again. No, I didn’t ‘party’ with her,” Chris was animated and using air quotes to get his point across, “and yes, Ma, I did go to the hospital yesterday.”  
  
“So, where did you meet this woman that you didn’t party with?” Carly asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, but she was not letting this go.

“Wow, I tell you I visited with sick and dying children, and you are more concerned about the woman I met? Geez, Carly, where is your compassion?” Chris said throwing a kitchen towel in her direction.

“Is she girlfriend material?” Carly chided.

“I don’t know, she could be.”

“Define could be,” Chris’s mother Lisa commented.

“She seemed a little shy. She had beautiful green eyes and she had absolutely no clue who I was!”  
  
“What’s her name?”

“Harper, her name is Harper McDonald.”

“So, wait, you met a girl, got her name and didn’t sleep with her? What, are you losing your touch?” Carly could not contain her laughter.

Chris began tickling his nephew, “Your mommy is going to drive me crazy, tell her to leave me alone, Miles.” His nephew could not give him any help due to his fits of laughter.

“So, are you thinking you might see her again?” His mom was intrigued.

“I don’t know, possibly,” he walked over to his mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “I’m heading out, I've got places to go and people to see. I’ll be back for dinner.”

“Sure you will, unless you get a better offer, right?” Carly yelled as Chris was closing the front door.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The week had come to an end, and Harper was preparing to leave the office; between the workload and the evenings at the hospital, it seemed like the week just flew by. Her body felt it, though, the chair in the hospital room was not comfortable, and she was starting to hurt, she was not really sure if she could take much more. She considered going to the apartment to grab a pillow from her bed, but she was afraid she would be too tempted to just fall across the bed and go to sleep.

She considered asking if there was a cot or a roll-a-way bed that could be brought into the room for her, but the hospital might object. Aiden was responding well to the latest treatment, and his numbers were improving. He was no longer touch and go; while she didn’t want to get too optimistic, she also didn’t want to drive thirty-five minutes back home after a visit and then worry about rushing back if he took a turn. For her own well-being, she needed to be close to him.

Since his numbers were getting better, the Doctor had at least agreed to let Aiden have a treat; a break from his strict diet while undergoing his treatments. Harper had let the nurses know that she would be a little late tonight, she wanted Aiden to have his dinner without her. She was insistent, though, no dessert, she was going to bring that in for him. She had decided that since it was the weekend, and she was going to bring in dessert, she might as well bring in a movie.

She stopped by the apartment and pulled out Aiden’s copy of Captain America. After all, it was her son’s favorite movie, and it would make him feel better. The side benefit, it would provide her an excuse to watch Chris Evans and see him in action. Since meeting him, he has been top of mind, no matter what she is doing. How in the world had he been able to captivate her so quickly? There was no way she was in his league, she had no idea who she was kidding. She grabbed the movie and his Captain America blanket and headed out the door, on her way to the store and then to the hospital.

She walked into Aiden’s room, he was snuggled with his teddy bear and his eyes were closed. She quietly put the bag down and walked over to give him a kiss. As always, his eyes fluttered open, and he welcomed his mom with a smile.

“I was afraid you weren’t comin’ tonight,” he said as he tried to sit up in the bed.

“Oh, you know better than that! I stopped by the apartment and got your favorite movie. I thought maybe we could snuggle up under your blankie, watch the movie and eat ice cream!”

Aiden’s eyes got wide, and he moved to make room for his mom on the bed. Harper put the movie in the DVD player and opened the small container of ice cream and pulled out the spoons she had grabbed from the nurses’ station. She got settled on the bed, covered the two of them up with the blanket and started their movie. She had reached over to grab his ice cream cup and realized Aiden had fallen asleep. She turned the television down and continued to snuggle with him, these were moments she wasn’t going to pass up. She had become so engrossed in the movie and in Chris, that she did not hear the knock on the door.

~ * ~  
He couldn’t get her off his mind; it didn’t help that his mom and his sister kept asking him if he was going to see her again. Finally, he gave in and decided to drive downtown to the hospital. He was pretty sure it was safe to assume that she would be there. He didn’t even know if she was married, he never even bothered to ask; then again, it never came up the other night.

He walked off the elevator and down the hall. None of the nurses were at the station, he was arriving unnoticed. He gently knocked on the door and when he didn’t hear a response, slowly opened the door. He took in the scene, Harper was sitting on the bed holding a sleeping Aiden, and they were wrapped up in a Captain America blanket. It was a peaceful and beautiful picture, and he came very close to just turning and walking away since she had not heard him come in. That’s when he noticed the movie she was watching, this was just begging for him to say something.

He walked a little farther into the room, clearing his throat, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” Harper jumped and tried to get the TV to turn off, she was fumbling with the controls, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Do you care if I come in?”

“Please, sure, come on in, “she sat the controls down, “I didn’t hear you come in. But then again, it was hard to hear anything between the TV and his snoring,” she was nervous.

“I was downtown tonight and thought I would stop by and see how the little guy was doing,” he figured the little white lie would be okay. He didn’t want to scare her by admitting that he was downtown because he drove there to see her. Besides, he did want to know how Aiden was doing, that wasn’t a lie. “I’ve thought about him, and you, several times this week.”

“I thought I would drop by and see how Aiden was doing. I have to admit that I have thought about him – and you – several times this week.”

Harper felt her face flush with his words; she was pretty sure she felt a rush of heat to other parts of her body as well. “Please come in and have a seat,” she tried to gently move from the bed without waking Aiden. She prayed she didn’t look too horrible, she feared she must look a wreck.

“No! Don’t get up, he seems so comfortable, and you look so content, I don’t want to make you move,” Chris walked over and picked up the DVD case from the TV and then sat in the chair next to the bed, “Decided to check up on me, huh?”

“Yes, well no, it’s Aiden’s favorite movie,” Harper was flustered like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, “I figured I would see why he likes it so much.”

“And, what’s the verdict?”

“Well, we weren’t very far into the movie.” Harper tried to deflect his question.

“Okay, I put you on the spot, sorry,” he put the DVD case on the bedside table, “I love it when I hear that kids love it, it’s probably the one positive thing about the whole fame game. Kids get so excited about superheroes and getting to meet their favorites, it’s really rewarding.”

“Ok, I have to come clean about something, I know more about the movie than I have let on,” she looked down at the blanket a little nervously, “I actually haven’t watched it until now, that was true. But I do know that Steve Rogers is a good man who overcomes his medical issues to become a super soldier and save the world. I think it connects with Aiden because he hopes it means that as sick as he is, he can one day get better, and he can become a superhero,” Harper had to turn away, she felt tears starting to sting her eyes, and she didn’t want Chris to see her cry.

“Frankly, I think Aiden is a superhero now! I know, that sounds corny and like it is from some cheesy novel,” Chris reached forward to take Harper’s hand, “He’s strong, but he handles himself so well, and I haven’t seen him cry, and I’ve never heard him complain.”

Aiden shifted in the bed and Harper was able to get up. She pulled her legs out from under the blanket and slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed, careful not to kick Chris. “Excuse me,” she said as she stood and walked over toward the bathroom sink. With her back to Chris, she allowed the tears to spill over and down her cheeks. She hoped he could not see her shoulder start to shake; she was not one to cry so easily but the weight of everything was so heavy, it was hard not to let it all come down on her.

She didn’t hear him walk over to her, but he reached out, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen just a bit. He gently turned her and pulled her towards him and into an embrace. She tried to resist, but relented, “It’s okay, you can cry. You have to break down now and then, and you don’t have to be strong with me.”

Chris knew it was wrong, but he had wanted to hold her since he met her. He could sense she needed to have someone to lean on. He loved how she had carried herself and tried to act so strong, but her eyes gave away that there was a storm brewing. He could stand there and hold her all night long if that is what she needed. But almost as that thought crossed his mind, Harper pulled back. She hurried to turn around and wipe the tears from her face. She was pretty sure she had just wiped her eye makeup all over. She reached for a tissue to erase the damage when she heard him speak.

“Harper, is there anyone that relieves you in staying with Aiden? Are you here every day?”

“No, it is just the two of us…I leave him so I can work during the day, but I am here every night.” Harper turned back around to face Chris and hoped she didn’t look too ragged. “I’m his mom, why wouldn’t I be here?”

“When was the last time you had a hot meal? I mean real food and not something from the hospital cafeteria.”

“Um, I don’t know, I can’t remember the last time I went to a restaurant.”

“Ok, come on,” Chris reached for her hand and led her out the door into the hallway. The nurses had returned to the station, and he saw his friend working on charts, “Hey Becky, I’m going to take Harper to get something to eat. Aiden is asleep but if he wakes up or there is any change, will you call either one of us?”

“Sure thing Chris,” Becky answered. Harper was stunned, not only that Chris was holding her hand, but that he was talking to the nurses like this was normal for him to do. She knew she should probably challenge him on taking her out, but she was sure this was just a dream, and she would wake up sooner rather than later.

They walked down the long corridors of the hospital and out onto the street. Harper realized they were on the other side of the hospital, she had never been over here before. Honestly, she hadn’t been out and about; she would pull into the parking garage and go to Aiden’s room, that was about it. It also didn’t help that she was not a native Bostonian; Chris was so he could maneuver through the city streets easily. He opened the door to a French Bistro. The hostess led them to a table in the rear of the restaurant where they could enjoy some privacy.

“Chris, I think I’m a little underdressed for this place,” she was looking around and felt as if everyone was staring at her, “And I’m sure I look awful with my puffy red eyes, are you sure you want to be seen out in public with me?”  
  
“Stop! You’re beautiful, and if they are staring, it’s because they’re jealous that I’m with you!” He gave her a wry smile and held out her chair, “Sit and have a drink and enjoy a nice meal and take a moment for yourself, okay?”  
  
"I don't know, if Aiden wakes up and I’m not there, he’ll wonder where I am. What if something happens?”  
  
Chris leaned forward and put his hand on hers, a gesture to try to calm her nerves, "Harper, he’s okay, he was sound asleep when you left, and Becky promised she would call if there were a problem. Don’t worry, you deserve a break, I promise, it will be alright."

"So, I guess you know Becky pretty well, huh?" Harper was fishing for details.

"Yeah, you could say that. We went to high school together and have been friends for years. She is the one who helps coordinate my visits with the kids."

"I think it’s great that you do that, and I’m sure the kids love it. So, how long have you been doing it?"

"Oh, for years, before Captain America, I started when I played Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four. I always come here when I’m back in Boston but I’ve visited Children’s Hospitals out in LA, too,” Chris stopped speaking when the waitress approached to take their drink order.

Once she left, Chris decided to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him, he wanted to see if he could get to know the woman who had captivated his imagination. “So, tell me about you, Harper, something that doesn’t involve Aiden,” Harper gave him a puzzled look. “Well, I mean, I know you are a mom, and he is a special little boy. But I want to know about Harper, not Aiden’s mom."

“Oh, geez, well, I don’t know that I’m fascinating." Harper looked around the restaurant and tried to avoid eye contact with Chris. "Um, I work in an office, I’ve got a small apartment, and I’ve never eaten at a French Bistro before,” Harper laughed as she raised her glass to Chris, “I’m not really sure I can say anything that will make me appealing to a big-time Hollywood actor.”

Chris let out a belly laugh, “Big time actor? Wow, that is not a phrase I would use for myself, and frankly, I bet you’re more interesting than you let on.” Chris could not take his eyes off of her; he could just drink her in all night. “Well, let's start at the beginning Harper McDonald, are you from Boston originally?”

“Oh, heaven’s no! I’m from a small town in the Midwest, and I’d never lived in a big city until I graduated high school and moved away for college.”

“Where did you go to college, may I ask?”

“Sure, I went to NC State, in Raleigh. I loved it there, decided to stay after graduation. Got a job and had a nice quiet little life there. Boston has been quite a change, it is so much bigger than both my hometown and Raleigh. More hustle and bustle, but I’ve learned to like it.”

“So, what brought you to Boston?” Chris was intrigued; she spoke so softly and seemed to be hiding things about herself. Honestly, it only made him want to know more. He was mesmerized by her; she was a “normal” girl with a “normal” life. While had admittedly loved acting, he did not like all of the notoriety and publicity that went with it. She had what he wanted, the ability to have a quiet, normal life and to blend in.  
Harper didn’t want to answer this question; she hung her head and spoke very softly, “I had to come to Boston to bury my husband. He was from here, his parents wanted him to be buried with his family, in the city where he was born.” Harper did not look up, she knew that Chris had to be staring at her with pity in his eyes, and that is one thing she couldn’t take.

Chris had taken a few minutes before he spoke, “Oh, Harper, I’m sorry. How long ago did he pass?” He began to feel guilty for having fantasies of what he might do to her when he realized she might have just recently been widowed.

“It’s been six years; Aiden had just had his first birthday when it happened. We moved here and lived with his parents for a while. My parents had passed years earlier so his family was all I had,” Harper took a deep breath before continuing, this was a hard subject to talk about. “They were great to us, we had a big house to live in and there was a yard so Aiden could play outside, it was really ideal.” Harper took a sip of her water and fidgeted with her napkin in her lap, she couldn’t look up at Chris, she knew she would lose it.

“Aiden’s grandmother died about a year later, I’m positive it was from a broken heart. David was her only child, and she had a hard time accepting his death. Aiden’s grandfather had a stroke 3 years ago and had to go into a nursing home, and the house had to be sold to pay for his care. So, Aiden and I moved into a tiny little apartment. Mr. McDonald didn’t last long in the nursing home, about a year. So now, Aiden and I are all on our own.”

“I didn’t know, I’m sorry,” he took a drink, he would never have brought it up if he would have had an idea that it would have been painful for her. To think she had to endure the loss of a husband, her parents, his parents and the possibility of losing her child; when was this woman going to get a break? “You know, maybe I need to roll out the welcome wagon even if it is a few years late,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood, “I need to show you and Aiden all of the excellent things this city has to offer. Besides, you’ve had your fair share of sadness, you deserve a little fun and a good dose of happiness.”

“Well, if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,” Harper said with a smile, “Yes, I actually did just quote Hee-Haw! Good, grief that shows I am old!” Harper finally looked up and was staring right into Chris’ brilliant blue eyes and her breath caught. “It’s been hard, but I think I appreciate what I have even more because of it. I’m sure that’s why I’m so overprotective and why I try to spend every minute I can with him. I’d hate to think that I’d wasted a moment if I lose him.”

“You know he is in a great hospital, and they will do everything they can to make him better,” Chris, who had been leaning up into the table to be as close to Harper as he could be, sat back in his chair and sighed heavily. “Well it looks like I screwed up, I’d wanted this to be an opportunity for you to focus on something positive and happy and I’ve done the complete opposite,” Chris said letting the sarcasm drip from the words as he playfully tossed his napkin on the table.

Harper reached across the table and placed her hand on his, “No, this is nice, believe me. I’m sorry to have been so depressing, but it is nice to talk to someone other than the nurses. I’ve very few friends in this town and frankly, I haven’t been able to speak to any of them since Aiden has been back in the hospital.” She pulled her hand back quickly for fear her gesture was too intimate.

“Then I guess it is a good thing I came to the hospital tonight. I’m glad I could be a friend to you,” Chris smiled and leaned forward again, "Alright, only pleasant conversation from this point forward," he declared as he raised his glass, "Tell me, do you two watch sports at all?"

“Yeah, we love football!”

“Yay! A Patriots fan! I knew I liked you for some reason.”

“Um, the Patriots? Heavens no, sorry, I said I love football not that I like the Patriots!”

Chris grabbed his chest and acted as if he was crushed, “I thought we had an excellent start to our relationship, and here you go breaking my heart. So, break it to me gently, who is your favorite team?”

“Buffalo, I’ve been a Bills fan for years,” she had to smile when she saw the grimace on his face, “Hey now, I’ve been a loyal fan for years. We totally suck right now, but we will be great again, someday, I hope,” she laughed, and he had to admit that the sound was intoxicating.

“Man, you are bitter rivals for us, I’m not sure I can handle that. How in the world did you become a fan of the Bills when are you’re from the Midwest?”

"Um,” she looked a little embarrassed, “I had, well still do actually, have a thing for Jim Kelly. He is one hell of a quarterback, freaking hall of famer! Plus, he is a cancer survivor, he has endured so much with the loss of his son; he’s a good man. I’ve loved him and the team for more than 25 years, so I am loyal and can’t abandon them, no matter how many times I have considered it,” Harper’s laugh was back, and Chris could not help but join in this time.  
  
"Alright, I will overlook your unfortunate choice in teams, for now. You make a compelling argument as to why you’re a Bills fan and why you have remained loyal.”  
  
"For now, so what does that mean exactly?"

"Well, it means I’m not ready to say that you being a Bills fan is a deal breaker just yet; but I do reserve the right to reconsider it if you beat the Patriots this year,” he gave her a wink and a smirk that almost melts her heart.

Harper was entranced by his smile and his smooth voice, this was a handsome man sitting across the table from her, and he was flirting. What scared her was that she was enjoying it. Chris had said ‘relationship’, and she was sure he meant friendship. But what if he wasn’t? Was she ready for someone to pay attention to her and it would it distract her from what was going on with Aiden?

Chris motioned for the waitress and placed their dinner order. He had just taken control and ordered on her behalf; part of her thought it romantic, the other part felt it was a little controlling. It must have registered on her face; he immediately spoke up to defend himself, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be presumptuous, I thought it might be nice to have someone take care of you for a change and not have you make all the decisions.”

Her eyes went wide, that was actually very thoughtful and sweet, “Oh, thank you, I’m not really sure I would have known what to order anyway,” she actually felt her face begin to turn crimson as she spoke.  
  
He gave her a warm smile in return, “So, tell me, what do you do for a living? Where do you work?”  
  
“C’mon Chris, what could I tell you that would make me vaguely interesting to you?”

“What? You don’t think you’re interesting? You’re a doting mom with a great kid, and I like you. I believe you're kind of extraordinary, and you just can’t see it!”

“Ok, well, I didn’t want to tell you my secret, but I guess I have to. I left my magic lasso and invisible plane back at the hospital; I’m not the Amazon woman the comics would have you believe I am, but I am Wonder Woman just the same,” she did not crack a smile, her delivery was deadpan.  
  
Chris, however, could not contain himself, he let out a laugh and the other patrons in the restaurant turned to look at him. “Well played my dear, very well played. I am glad to see that you have a sense of humor and are well versed in sarcasm.”

“Damn, I just realized, she’s in the wrong comic universe for Captain America isn’t she?”  
  
“Oh, I am sure he’d have a thing for her. But wait a minute, was she created before or after he went into the ice?” Before either one of them could answer, the waitress brought their dinners and refilled their drinks. When she left, they picked up their conversation; Chris made small talk about music, movies, and books; topics that could keep Harper from talking about Aiden or her late husband.

As she finished her dinner, Harper reached for her glass, “I am not sure how I can repay you for this. I feel guilty for saying it, but it was nice to get away from the hospital for the evening. And the dinner, well the food and the company were both amazing,” she smiled and put her head down as if she was embarrassed to admit that.

“I’m not expecting you to repay me. Honestly, I don’t want you to, I did this because I wanted to and I sincerely enjoyed myself. Plus, you were able to laugh and smile a little, and you are so beautiful when you do that. You know that, right?”

She put her head down and played with her napkins, “We should probably head back to the hospital,” she was trying to avoid his comment at all costs, “We’ve been gone for a few hours and everyone, including Aiden, is probably wondering what happened to us.”

Chris flagged down the waitress so he could settle the check. He then pushed his chair back and helped Harper up. He put his hand on the small of her back as she moved in front of him and out of the restaurant into the brisk night air. He then moved to put his arm around her shoulder as he walked her back to the hospital campus.

Harper couldn’t remember the last time she went on a date. Wait? Was this a date? They did go to a restaurant, spend a few hours together, alone. He did buy dinner, and he was now walking with his arm around her; oh, crap this was a date! As they approached the hospital building, Chris opened the door to let her in. He took her hand and walked her down the long corridors; this time, the walk seemed so much shorter than when they left for dinner. They reached the elevator and took it to the 4th floor. As the doors opened, she immediately felt as if all eyes were on them as they made their way toward Aiden’s room.

Luckily, they weren’t; none of the nurses were around. When they reached Aiden’s door, Harper turned to face Chris, “Thank you again for tonight, I had a splendid time.”

“Me too,” Chris pulled Harper into an embrace, he wanted to kiss her. He was dying to see if her lips were as soft as he imagined they were, but he was afraid he would scare her off, “I just hope you’ll let me whisk you away again, sometime.”

As she pulled away from him, she smiled and gave him a wink, “We’ll see.” She slowly opened the door to Aiden’s room and disappeared, leaving Chris in the hallway. She had too much adrenaline to sleep, though; she settled into the chair next to Aiden’s bed and tried to doze off, but it was no use. The replay of the evening played like a movie in her head; the feeling of being in those muscular arms, how safe she felt. She felt a buzz, like a high from drinking too much, but she was sober. She sat and stared at Aiden and let her mind continue to linger on thoughts of Chris; eventually, she fell asleep.

~ * ~  
Chris made it out of the hospital without running into Becky or any of the other nurses. His drive home had him rehashing the night’s events; he killed the lights as he pulled into the drive, hoping that would avoid waking anyone. H quietly opened the front door and eased into the house, he was trying to make sure he didn’t wake any of the kids. He did not want to have his sister get after him for that. He was trying to lock the deadbolt when the hallway light suddenly came on behind him.

“Well, I see some things never change!” Chris turned around to see his brother standing in the living room doorway.

“Keep it down, you’re going to wake the kids, or worse, Carly,” he moved to give his brother a hug, “I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow?”

“I was able to catch an earlier flight. I tried calling you, but it went straight to voicemail. Where you out on a date?”

“I had my phone set for emergency calls only,” he sidestepped Scott’s question as he walked down the hall towards the kitchen, “I love ya, bro, but tonight, you were not an emergency.”  
  
“Well that’s disappointing," Scott put on a fake pout, “So, that answers my other question, you were on a date. So, where did you go?”

Chris opened the refrigerator and pulled out a cold beer, “It wasn’t really a date, I just took someone to dinner. We were downtown, and I didn’t want to be interrupted by phone calls, that’s all,” he responded as he took a long pull from the bottle. He wasn’t about to offer up more information than he had to. But he also knew that Scott was not going to let this go.

“Dinner downtown and you didn’t want to be interrupted. Sounds like a date to me, so where did you go?”

“Ma Maison...little French bistro on Cambridge.”

“Wow, French? Come on, now that is romantic, that was totally a date,” Scott teased, not letting up in the least bit.

“No, the dinner was not romantic. But it was a great restaurant, and you do feel like you’re in Paris when you’re there. But, it was a just a nice dinner between two people, nothing romantic at all,” Chris took another drink and just stared at his brother.

“So, let me get this straight, you had a non-romantic dinner at a restaurant that made you feel like you are eating in the city of lights? Okay, whatever you say! Where did you meet this woman?”  
  
“I met her at the Children’s Hospital when I was there for a visit the other day, that’s why we went to Ma Maison. She was at the Hospital, and we went someplace close.”  
  
"Whoa! I never pictured you for have a hot nurse fantasy! After all these years I can still learn something new about you after all.”

Chris rolled his eyes, “She is not a nurse, and this was not a hot nurse fantasy! Good grief, get your mind out of the gutter.”

"Oh, if she’s not a nurse, is she a doctor? I never thought of you with a doctor, either!”

"No, she is not a doctor..."

"Good God, Chris please tell me Harper isn’t the mother of a sick child!" The brothers turned to find Carly standing in the kitchen doorway with her arms crossed.

"Jesus, Carly you damn near gave me a heart attack," Scott clenched his chest and doubled over, "Ok, who’s Harper?"

“Fuck Carly, what the hell are you doing down here? Aren’t you a little old for eavesdropping?” Chris took a drink and waited to for an answer.

“Newsflash, you two idiots weren't exactly quiet,” Carly reached in the refrigerator for a drink. “I was coming down here to tell you to keep it down when I heard the conversation.”

“Ok, again, who is Harper?” Scott was starting to pout.

“Harper is the woman I had dinner with,” Chris sighed heavily, he knew what he was about to admit to was going to earn a lecture from Carly, and most likely, his mother. “Yes, she is the mother of one of the patients that I spent some time with. But before you blow a gasket, I am being very respectful and I am not trying to sleep with her, I’m a friend to her.”

“Alright, I never would have guessed that!” Scott exclaimed as he carefully watched the glances exchanged by Carly and Chris.

“Chris, you can’t do this, you know it. You can’t toy with the feelings of a woman who is dealing with a sick child.”  
  
“I’m smart enough to know that,” he could not believe he was having this conversation and that his sister was questioning his actions and motives. “I’m not toying with her, I like her, and she’s different.”  
  
“She’s different because she’s vulnerable, you ass! She’s got a sick kid, you’re playing with fire, and she’s going to get burned.”

“Oh, you’re a psychic now? You just know that I will end up hurting her?” His voice was bitter, and he knew he shouldn’t be so nasty, but it was a defense mechanism. He finished off the rest of the beer in the bottle, “She’s been through a lot of pain and heartbreak in her life already. I’m honestly not planning on adding to it. Just stay out of it, both of you!” He knew that he was raising his voice, and he should care, but right now he didn’t. He tossed his empty bottle into the trash and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairway to his room. He loved his sister and brother, but he didn’t need them putting their noses into this; they were judging and making assumptions, and he didn’t need that right now.  
  
He walked into his room and sat on the edge of his bed. He began to wonder if he was angry because Carly had a valid point? Harper, was indeed, vulnerable at the moment and he did not want to risk hurting her even if that was not part of his plan. But he could not deny that he was drawn to her and wanted to be there for her; she needed protection, and he wanted to give it to her, that was something he had not felt in a long time. Harper was in his head, she had invaded his thoughts, but he was beginning to second-guess himself, and that could be scary.   
 


	3. Chapter 3

Harper had not left the hospital since she had returned from dinner with Chris on Friday evening. Aiden had never awakened while she was gone, so she never admitted to him that she had escaped for a while. And she certainly did not share with him that she had done so with his favorite superhero. No, there were some things you just didn’t share.

She did, at least, tell Aiden that Chris had stopped in to see how he was doing. She thought he might get a kick out of knowing that bit of information. Although he was mad that his mom didn’t wake him up because that ‘would have been the coolest thing ever!’ She didn’t want to get his hopes up that it would happen very often; she wasn’t sure it would happen again, although she certainly hoped it would.

The entire weekend, she had colored, read books, or watched movies with Aiden. It was no surprise that he wanted to watch Captain America or The Avengers movies; she could not deny him those requests! She kept up the act that she was not interested in superheroes; but she was glued to the television, unable to take her eyes off of Chris.

She could not get him off her mind either. She had not talked to him since they parted at Aiden’s door on Friday night; she desperately wanted to reach out to him, but she didn’t have his number. They never exchanged phone numbers when they were together on Friday. Honestly, who was she kidding, he used the term ‘relationship’ at dinner, but she knew he meant friendship; she was in that zone and even then, it was not a normal friend zone. She was a widowed mother with a seven-year-old child that was dying, she was not prime dating material for this man! Who in the hell was she kidding?

Aiden had fallen asleep while watching The Winter Soldier; she decided to quit torturing herself and turn the movie off. She hadn’t dated in ten years, and Chris Evans wasn’t going to be the guy she got back into the dating pool with. She covered Aiden up, kissed his head, and settled into her chair to work on some of her projects from the office. She thought the solitude might provide her an opportunity to get caught up and maybe even get a leg up on Monday morning’s to-dol-list.

It evidently worked, because she worked herself right to sleep, projects still open on her lap. She jolted herself awake and noticed it was a little after 5 am. She had accomplished quite a bit before she had fallen asleep. She packed everything up and gathered her things, electing to jump in the shower and to get ready before the 6 am vitals check for Aiden.

When Claudia came in, she let Harper know that they were going to start Aiden on the next round of radiation and chemo today. This meant a new set of drugs and the chance they could have an adverse reaction. She wanted to remind Harper to be prepared and to have her phone handy, just in case. She gave Aiden a kiss, wished him luck and headed for the parking garage. She pulled out of the garage and hit the highway, saying a prayer as she drove to the office, hoping that his day went well and that she had nothing to worry about.

The drive into the office was relatively smooth and fast, she even had time to stop off and buy a breakfast sandwich and a coffee. She had barely eaten since Friday night, and her stomach was protesting. She got into her office and began working on the presentation that Max was going to need. She knew how this would work; she would give him exactly what he needed, and he would review it and make constant changes to it. She would do the presentation at least five times before it met with final approval.

The first draft was on his desk, along with the contract notes he wanted, by 9 am. Harper was feeling fairly confident with this draft when she left his office, only to be summoned twenty minutes later with a stack of revisions and the request for a new report that needed to be created and added to the presentation. Her confidence level suddenly took a nosedive. She was so wrapped up in the new report generation, she sailed right through lunch. She had no idea what was going on around her or even the time until her phone rang and startled her.

The call was from the hospital and one that she definitely did not want. The new drugs in the treatment had caused an adverse reaction for Aiden, he was violently ill, and his vital signs had dropped rapidly; he was in critical condition, and she needed to be there immediately. His life was in the balance, and she would have to make some important decisions regarding his care; these decisions could not be made over the phone, she needed to be there in person and would have to sign paperwork. She held back the tears as she listened to the words being spoken. She acknowledged what was being said and advised them that she would be there as quickly as she could. She hung up the phone and threw a few things into her bag and started for the door.

As she was walking towards the lobby, she passed by Max’s door, she poked her head inside, “I’m sorry Max, I need to leave, I have a family emergency with my son, and I’m not sure when I will be back.” The tears were threatening to spill over from her eyes, and she did not want her boss to see her cry.

“Harper, you can’t go, I have a deadline, and I need that presentation. Can you get that done first and then leave?”

“The file is on the shared drive and the stack of revisions is on my desk. Molly might be able to assist; I’m sorry I have to go, this can’t wait,” with that, she ran to the elevator bank and began frantically pushing the down arrow to call the elevator car. She knew pushing the button more than once did not expedite the process but she was feeling utterly helpless.

The large oak doors for Kinkaid Development swung open, and Max walked out. She could tell he was not happy, but he was calm as he approached her. He stopped just short of where she was standing, placing one arm against the wall, he made eye contact with her, “Look, Harper, you can’t just walk out. I need you to finish this project, don’t let me down; don’t let the company down.”

“I’m sorry, Max, this really is a medical emergency. I’m not just walking off and abandoning you.”

“Our company’s future is dependent on this presentation, and you can’t leave me hanging like this,” his tone in his voice was steadily rising, “If you walk out, I can’t guarantee what will happen, and I think you know that.”  
  
“I had made my way through most of the revisions, anyone else can quickly pick it up and finish it. You know me, Max, I would not be leaving if this was not important.” Just then, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Harper stepped into the car and pushed the button, “I’m sorry Max, I’ll let you know what is going on as soon as I get to the hospital and find out what’s going on.” As the doors closed, she was fairly sure she had just lost her job, and there would be no need to fill him in on Aiden’s status.

She could not think of that at the moment, she needed to get in her car and get to the hospital and hope that things had not gone from bad to worse in the time it took her to get there. The drive was unusually easy; traffic was not a problem, and she was able to maneuver her way into downtown rather quickly. She quickly found a parking spot, sprinted down the hall towards Aiden’s room. As she opened the door to his room, her heart stopped, and she immediately collapsed to the floor; her fears of being too late had overtaken her. The bed was disheveled and empty, and all of the machines were dark, there was no sign of life.

She wanted to scream or cry, but she couldn’t. The shock and pain were overtaking her body, she started to shake. A slight tremor at first but the full body shaking followed soon after. This hurt, while she had tried to prepare herself for this day, she just wasn’t ready. She heard footsteps approaching and realized that someone was beside her; suddenly arms were around her shoulders.

“Harper, he’s okay honey. We moved him down the hall to Intensive Care,” it was Aiden’s nurse Claudia speaking in a hushed and calm voice, doing what she could to ease her fears and calm her down. Claudia could see the pain in Harper’s eyes and knew she had imagined the worst, “I’m sorry I missed you when you came off the elevator.”

“I saw the room, I thought he was gone,” she choked on the sobs, the tears now streaming down her face, “I figured I was too late.”  
The nurse helped Harper stand up, holding her around her waist to keep her steady on her feet, “No, you’re not too late, he is doing a little better. We have him on some new meds to get him back on track, and we put him in a room where we can monitor him a little closer, that’s all.” She started to turn Harper and walk her toward the door, “Come on, I’ll walk you down the hall so you can see him.”

There were five individual ICU rooms for this ward at the end of the hall; each room had a glass sliding door to make it easier to monitor the room. Curtains could be pulled for privacy; the curtains for Aiden’s room were pulled all the way and provided only an opening near the headboard of his bed, providing the nurses the ability to see his monitors but otherwise providing privacy to the room.

Claudia stopped short of the door and turned to face Harper, “You need to know that he has tubes and wires, more so than he has had in a while, it will be a shock and will probably scare you a little. He’s heavily sedated, we want to get his vitals back to normal, and we need him to be calm and to not fight back. Just be prepared, okay?”

Harper nodded vigorously, “That’s fine, I understand, please just let me in there, I need to be in there with him.”

“He’s in a medically-induced coma, and he’s on a ventilator.”

Those words felt like a punch to the gut; she had to let them sink in before she could move forward. That was not what she was expecting to hear. She had to just keep telling herself that he was alive and that he could overcome anything. She took a deep breath and slid the door open, pushed the curtain aside and walked in. She stumbled, the sight of him took her breath away, his body was lost in the maze of tubes and wires. The only sounds in the room were the beeping of the machines and the mechanical rhythm of his breathing; it was jarring, to say the least. She slowly walked toward the bed and sat in the chair, her back to the nurses that would be watching from the station just outside.  
She had pulled herself together and had vowed she would not cry. Even though he was in a coma, Aiden could hear everything going on around him, she did not want him to hear his mother crying. She would only talk about happy things and would keep conversation and stories light and cheerful. She picked up his hand, at this point, it seemed so very tiny, she told him how much she loved him and that she was no going to go anywhere, he could count on that. The nurses kept a watchful eye on her, they were all aware that she would be beating herself up for not being there when this happened, and that she would not leave his side. They also knew this would break her down and that she would end up being admitted to the hospital if she were not careful.

Sometime during the night, Harper had fallen asleep; the beeping of the machines that at one time seemed so loud had blended into the background and had become more calming than alarming. She looked at the clock, it was 4:30 am; reaching into her pocket she pulled out her cell phone. It had been on silent since she had entered the hospital, she had 8 missed calls and two voicemails, they were all from Max.

Her hands were shaking as she dialed his office number; it was the coward’s way to call a number that she knew he wouldn’t answer and would allow her to quickly leave a voicemail. At the beep she began to speak, “Max, I’m at the hospital, my son is in critical condition, he’s on a ventilator and I just can’t leave him like this. I know you were upset when I left, but family, or what I have left of family, comes first. I don’t know when I can come back, I hope you understand. I should have vacation time that can be used and possibly some sick time. I’ll call you when he is stable.”

Harper disconnected the call, she knew that Max would be angry that she left a voicemail. He would be disappointed that she didn’t call in and speak to him directly. She had every right to request the vacation time and sick time; she had the accumulated time available to her, but he could evoke rules that she didn’t ask off in enough time or didn’t request the time off in person. As the owner of the company, if he were angry enough and wanted her gone, she would be gone.

She didn’t have the energy to worry about what might, or might not, happen. All of her energy and focus needed to be directed toward Aiden. She slid the phone back to silent and put it into her pocket, knowing she would get a call from the office at some point during the day.  
Harper had moved from the chair next to the bed over to the couch under the window. There had been a steady stream of doctors and nurses in the room, and she had to continually move. She figured if she just sat on the couch she could stay out of the way, observe what was going on and then move back to his bedside for the evening.

In the late afternoon, she decided to check her phone for any messages. Sure enough, she had a voicemail from the office asking her to call into Human Resources. She had a lump in her throat as she dialed the number and waited to be connected. The woman introduced herself, although Harper didn’t actually pay attention to what it was; it was with regret that she was informing Harper that she was no longer employed with Kincaid Development. She was being terminated for cause, job abandonment, and insubordination. Since her termination was at the beginning of the month, her insurance would be in place for the next couple of weeks. She was able to maintain her composure through the call, after all, she had expected this.

She knew that standing up to Max and leaving when he told her to stay could cost her, and it ultimately did. She now had to worry about how she would survive. She had some money in savings and could cover rent for maybe two months, but after that, well that is when the panic would set in. Right now she needed to focus on Aiden, concentrate on getting him better and out of this intensive care room. She didn’t care if it meant she would live in her car and lose everything she owned, as long as he got better.

~ * ~  
Chris spent the weekend hanging out with his friends; wanting to distract himself from the argument with Carly and Scott. He talked to his family about everything and the idea that he had feelings for Harper and could not discuss them with his brother and sister, well it was driving him crazy. His friends were able to keep him distracted enough to keep his thoughts away from his family and from Harper. At least for a while.

Come Monday morning, he decided to avoid the family breakfast; he knew it would be an opportunity to try and set things right with Carly. He just didn’t want to get into the conversation with the kids around; he would just have to do it later that night. Once he thought the coast was clear, he ventured downstairs for coffee and to see if there was anything left over to eat.

His search was interrupted when he heard a voice from behind him, “Cooking isn’t your strong suit, want me to fix you something?”

He shut the cabinet door and turned to find his mom leaning against the doorway, “Oh, hey Ma, I thought you had already left.”

“No, I decided to stick around here in the hopes that I could talk to you. I noticed how you avoided everyone all weekend; Carly and Scott filled me in, so, I thought you might want to talk about it.”

He let out a heavy sigh, his mom always could read his emotions, even if she didn’t see him for a day or so. He poured a cup of coffee and turned back to her, “Yeah, I need to talk about it, but I’m scared to. I don’t know, I’m confused and worried, and all keyed up. I’m angry that Carly was so quick to judge, but what if she’s right and I’m just not willing to open my eyes to it?”

“Neither one of them gave me details, Chris. They just said they were concerned about the circumstances around this young woman you met and had dinner with. They said your discussion got heated, that’s all,” she motioned over to the kitchen table, the place in the house where all problems are solved. “Come over here and talk to me about it. I promise, no judgment from me until I hear the entire story.”

He grabbed his coffee cup and joined her at the table, taking the seat directly across from her. Lisa Evans was always fair when it came to her children. She talked to them about anything and everything. Chris had famously told the story of how he rushed home to tell his mom after he lost his virginity, that was the type of open relationship she had with each of her children. This conversation, though, this one was a little harder for him to get through for some reason.   
“Last week, I went to visit the kids over at the Children’s Hospital; you asked me how the visit went,” his mother took a sip of her coffee and nodded in recognition. “I met this one little boy, great kid, his name is Aiden, huge fan of Captain America. He was in his room all alone, Becky told me that his mom was at work and couldn’t be there during the day, I felt sorry for the little guy, and I stayed longer than I normally would.”

Lisa watched her son intently, as he talked about this boy. She could see in his eyes that he was genuine in his comments about his concern for him. That little boy had made an impact on him. It was not unusual for Chris to get choked up visiting the kids in the hospital, he has a soft spot for kids in general. But this seemed different, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“I guess I put my phone down on the table and didn’t realize I had done it because I left and forgot to pick it up. I was freaking out the rest of the afternoon trying to remember where I left it. Eventually, I made my way back to the hospital to see if I left it one of the rooms and that is when I met Aiden’s mom. She had found my phone, and she was giving it to Becky when I walked up. She was so thankful that I spent time with her son, kept telling me how it made his day. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she was stunning but shy, and I can’t even explain it.”

“Is this the woman you mentioned at breakfast, the one Carly was giving you trouble about?”

“Yes, the same one. I couldn’t get her out of my head, I thought about her all week, not just her, though, I wondered how Aiden was doing, too. So, on Friday I drove downtown and went to the hospital to see them,” he put his head down and took a drink of his coffee. He was waiting for his mom to make a comment or have some sort of reaction, but she didn’t. “When I got to the room, Aiden was asleep and after talking to her for a few minutes, I realized she was doing this on her own. She has no one to give her a break, and she doesn’t look like she’s eating; I thought she needed to get out of the room so I took her to dinner.”

“So, you felt sorry for her and took pity on her?”

Chris ran his fingers through his hair, he hadn’t considered it that way, “Yeah, maybe but I didn't think that at the time,” he paused, “I was intrigued, I can’t really explain it to you. The night I met her she was closed off and guarded and on Friday, well she broke down a little. I guess I wanted to get to know her, find out her story and try to understand why Aiden was alone the day I met him.”

“So, in a way, you were judging her? You were wanting to know her story and understand what kind of mother leaves a little boy in his hospital room all by himself,” she raised her eyebrow as she questioned her son.

Chris stood up, he walked over and placed his cup in the sink and put his hands on the counter. He stared out the window above the sink, into the backyard, and thought for a moment before he answered his mother’s question. “I never considered for a moment that I was judging her. You didn’t see her, Ma, she had absolutely no light in her eyes,” he turned to look at his mother, never moving from his position at the sink. “You could see the strain on her face, the worry. She’s not plastic or fake, she has real emotions, and I can’t help it, I find her attractive.”

He pushed himself away from the counter and walked back over to the table, taking his seat. “I took her to dinner and found out that Aiden is all she has. Her husband, parents, and in-laws are all gone, they’ve all died, and she is alone with a dying child.”

Lisa took a deep breath, she could see that Chris was emotionally vested in this situation after such a short period of time, and that scared her. She had to ask this next question, even though it could cause him to erupt, “That sounds absolutely horrible and tremendously sad, but is it real? I hate to ask you that but is there a chance that she is telling you that story hoping you will take pity on her because of who you are and the fact that you have money?”

“Absolutely not! When she gave me my phone back, she had no idea who I was. She never asked for anything, other than how she could repay me for her portion of dinner. I ordered for her, it’s not like she picked out something really expensive and then tried to make a gesture to make herself look good. She had no idea how much dinner cost but wanted to pay a fair share. Someone trying to take advantage of me would not do that, Ma.”

“I’m going to assume that Carly and Scott think you are crazy; that is why you are avoiding them.”

“They didn’t use the word crazy, but it is what they were implying. Carly thinks I will distract Harper from her son and that I will end up hurting them both.”

“You told them to stay out of your business?”

“Yeah, I did. What if Carly’s right, Ma? I don’t want to hurt her, but what if I do without realizing it?” He wasn’t really looking for her to answer him, at least not yet. He fidgeted with the cars that Miles had left on the table, he had to keep his hands occupied. “She’s fighting this battle on her own, I want to be there for her. She loves completely, I want that.”

“You have to make sure you’re doing it for the right reason, Chris. Is it because you really like her, or because you feel sorry for her? Or is it a little of both?” She reached out and put her hand on his, stopping him from playing with the cars, “You do know that as much as you want to be, you’re not really Prince Charming, right?”

He let out a laugh, “Yeah, I get that. But damn, I don’t give up trying.”

“Make sure if you are trying to save her, that she wants to be saved. Be sure if you are trying to sweep her off her feet, that she wants that, too.” She patted her son’s hands and then sat back in her chair, “I think you need to have the same conversation with Carly that you had with me. She didn’t get the entire story, and she didn’t see how you light up when you talk about Harper. She's protective of her younger brother, don’t forget that. Just ask her for a little understanding.”

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

“No, but I’m worried about you. I worry that you like her but that your emotions are tangled up. I’m not worried about you hurting her, I’m concerned about it being the other way around.”

~ *~   
It had been two days since Aiden had been placed into his medically-induced coma. The doctors were encouraged, he was getting stronger, and his test results were showing that his organ function was slowly returning to normal. They had finally determined that Aiden had a severe allergic reaction to one of the compounds in the new medications for his cancer treatment. Unfortunately, the reaction did a number on his body before they were able to get it under control. They were hopeful that the damage was not permanent, but they could not tell at this point. They were going to start reducing the medication that was keeping him under, slowly bringing him out of his coma, and they were going to remove him from the ventilator.

Harper had not left his room, not for a moment. She had ping-ponged between the chair next to the bed and the couch, only to allow access to the doctors and nurses. She drank the coffee or tea that they brought for her, but she had barely touched any food. The medical staff was getting worried about her; they were all positive they would have to put a bed in the room with Aiden and admit her, she was going to make herself sick. There was also the real fear that she would pass out and hit her head; she hadn’t eaten in days, and everyone held their breath when she would stand up.

During shift changes, the day shift would provide updates on patients and provide an unofficial update on Harper. Becky and Claudia were the two nurses that were the closest to Aiden and his mother, so they also took the time to chat one-on-one about how they were doing.

“Did she leave at all today? Or at least eat?” Becky asked as she came on for her shift.

“No, but I was encouraged to see that she took a nap on the couch for about thirty minutes. I brought lunch in from outside the hospital, thinking it might be more appealing to her. She still didn’t eat it; Doctor Turner is thinking of hooking her up to an IV tomorrow, he’s getting concerned,” Claudia looked back at the room again.  
“I have an idea, not sure it will work, but would you mind sticking around for a few minutes? Cover for me while I make a call, I want to see if I can arrange something for her.”

Claudia checked her watch, “Yeah, sure. I thought of offering to relieve her myself, you know she blames herself for this.”

“It would have happened if she was here, it had nothing to do with the fact that she was at work.”

“I know, I told her that, but she thinks that Aiden wouldn’t have been as scared if she was here.”

“Dear God, she needs to stop that guilt trip! Listen, I’ll be right back, hopefully, no more than five minutes.” Becky walked into an empty patient room with her cell phone and hit the contact to dial. After four rings with no answer, she was about to hand up when the call connected.

“Hello?” He answered with labored breathing.  
  
“Chris, it's Becky, did I catch you at a bad time?”

“I was working out. What’s up, you sound serious?”

“I need your help, it’s about Aiden McDonald.”

“Hold on, let me get out of the gym and get some privacy,” he grabbed his towel and keys and stepped outside the gym towards his car. “Ok, I’m in my car, what’s going on?”

“So, Aiden had a setback and has been in a coma, this is the third day. He’s doing better, but he’s still pretty sick,” she took a deep breath before continuing, she knew she was taking a chance with this. “Harper hasn’t let his side, she hasn’t eaten and won’t even trust him with us long enough to take a shower or anything. She’s scared to leave him alone.”

“Becky, that’s awful, what do you need me to do?”

“I know this is a long shot, but she responded to you the other night. I wondered if you might be able to reach her. We’re grasping at straws here, but could you bring her food and see if you could get her to eat or see if she would trust you with Aiden so she could take a shower or sleep? She has to keep her strength up you know?”

“Let me get a shower and then I’m on my way, it’ll be about an hour or so between getting ready and traffic,” he disconnected the call and started to drive home.

Becky walked back towards Claudia with a huge smile on her face, “Problem solved, I called Chris, and he is going to come down here.”

“Seriously? You think he can actually help?”

“Oh yeah, what you don’t know is that he came by here last Friday night and took her to dinner.”

“Oh my goodness, you’re kidding?”

“Nope! I saw him on Sunday, and he can’t get her out of his head, I think he’s hung up on her. So, he can come in and save the day, feel like a real superhero!”

“I sure hope it works; do you think she might like him?”

“I hope so, because if not, my plan backfires.”

They laughed, and Claudia told Becky to keep her updated. Becky started her rounds and had lost track of the time. She was putting the charts up when she saw Chris walking down the hall, with his mother by his side, “Thanks for coming, Chris and it is nice to see you, Mrs. Evans.”

Chris gave Becky a hug, “Thanks for calling me. I brought Ma, thinking one of us could stay with Aiden, and the other could take care of Harper,” he looked around, “Which room?”

“End of the hall, first ICU bay. But Chris, I have to warn you, Aiden doesn’t look the same as he did the last time you saw him. He’s on a ventilator, lots of tubes and wires, and he’s heavily sedated.”

Lisa watched her son reach to Becky’s words; his brilliant blue eyes began to cloud, his shoulders sank, and she could almost see the weight on his chest. She realized he couldn’t speak, she thought she would try on his behalf, “How much of a setback will this be for him? I know you can’t say much because of HIPAA, but can you tell us anything?”

“The doctors aren’t sure yet, they are hoping it is only a minor setback. They want to try a different course of treatment, and they are remaining optimistic. That’s about all I can say without getting into trouble, I’m sorry,’ she wanted to tell them more, she knew Chris wanted to know everything. But she couldn’t risk saying anything more at the hospital, where someone could overhear her.

Lisa had just told Chris that she worried about him getting hurt; this would be a test. She was not sure how he would deal with the implications of this little boy losing his fight. Chris had met kids with cancer, had kept up a correspondence with them and had befriended them. Some of them put up a brave fight and unfortunately, some of them didn’t make it. He had always been upset with each loss, but this time, he was a little more attached, even if the interactions had been brief by all standards.

He took a deep breath and slowly slid the door open, pushing back the curtain and walking inside. He was quiet, not wanting to startle Harper. She was sitting in the chair next to the bed, leaning over with her head resting on the bed, sound asleep as she held Aiden’s hand. As he watched her, empathy was the overpowering emotion; he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Becky.

As he turned to face her, she held out a duffle bag for him to take, “This is her bag, it was in Aiden’s other room, it has clothes in it. If she wakes up, maybe you can get her to take a shower and freshen up.”

Lisa intervened and took the bag, “I think you’re right, it might make her feel better and renew her energy, thanks. I hope she knows you all have been looking out for her.”

Becky nodded and smiled, patted Chris on the shoulder and then left the room. She said a silent prayer that this worked. Harper needed to keep her strength up if she wanted to help Aiden get better and she was going to need help in getting it back.

“I don’t want to wake her, Ma. I have a feeling she probably needs the sleep.”

“I agree, let her rest,” the two quietly walked over to the couch and took a seat. They watched as Harper stirred but didn’t wake.


	4. Chapter 4

Chris was not good with sitting still, he began to fidget. He would check his watch, tap his foot, look back and forth between Harper and Aiden. It was taking everything within Lisa not to yell at him and tell him to stop. She knew he felt helpless and telling him to stop or pointing out that he was driving her crazy was not going to help the situation at all.

Suddenly, he stood up and walked over to the bed where he gently touched Aiden’s head and then leaned over to whisper in his ear. He stood there for a minute longer, then returned to the couch. His mom was looking at him, extremely confused, “I wanted him to know I was here and that I noticed he wasn’t wearing his Captain America pajamas,” he finally let a smile cross his lips. “I wonder if Becky can help him change, maybe we could put them on him.”

“His pajamas are not important, Chris.”

“Sure they are, Ma. You can do anything with the help of a superhero, right? So, he needs Cap to help him get better.”

“You are so sweet, naïve, but sweet,” she patted his leg and smiled, “You can ask her, but I don’t think they will do the trick.”

“I know,” his smile was fading, “But I have to give him hope, every kid needs hope, Ma.”

Their attention was diverted, Harper was beginning to stir and wake up. The last thing they wanted to do was to scare her; Chris waited until she was fully alert before he gingerly stood up and softly said, “Hello.”

Harper jumped out of her chair, pushing it back a little, “Wha…Hi, what are you doing here?”

He tentatively took a step forward and motioned to the chair, "It’s okay, please sit back down. I called Becky to see how Aiden was doing, she told me he had taken a turn so I wanted to come down and check on the two of you.” He figured it was better to give that story. The last thing he wanted to do was to admit to Harper that Becky had called him; it would bring up too many questions.

"Oh, I see. Well, that was very thoughtful of you," Harper moved a little closer to the bed, Chris could tell she did it to hold on and keep from falling. "He, um, had an adverse reaction to his new medicine. But, um, they think he’s going to be alright,” her lip quivered, she was fighting back the emotion.

Chris walked over to where she was standing, he reached out for her and pulled her toward him, into an embrace. “You don’t have to be strong with me, let it out, it’s okay.” She tried to resist, she hated to cry and here she was in his arms and on the verge of doing it again. But she couldn’t hold it off, she started to sob, and he just held onto her tighter.

Lisa watched as her son caressed this woman; a woman he barely knew and yet he tried to help ease her burden. She had watched him with sick kids and with his young fans. Of course, she had even watched him with his niece and nephews, but the nurturing and caring he was providing to Harper and Aiden, this was a different level. This was a side of Chris she had not actually seen before, and she was proud of the man he was.

Chis held her for a moment longer and then pulled back, looking into her eyes, he spoke, “Everyone is worried about you, especially me. They’re telling me you aren’t eating or sleeping, sweetie you can’t do that, you’re gonna run yourself down, and you won’t be any good to Aiden if you’re sick, too.”

“I’m here by myself, and I can’t leave him alone, the last time I did this is what happened to him. I’m not hungry, I have no appetite, and I sleep in that chair,” she was pointing to the chair she had been in earlier. She wiped the tears from her eyes, unlike the last time, she wasn’t worried about smearing makeup, she hadn’t had any on in days.

Lisa stood up and took a few steps forward, “Hi, Harper, my name is Lisa, I’m Chris’ mother. I came with him tonight to see if I can be of assistance. Why don’t you let me sit with Aiden, and you can go freshen up and go get a bite to eat. Or, if you would like, we can let Chris stay here, and I’ll take you to dinner. But either way, my son is right, you need to keep up your strength.”

Harper hung her head for a moment and then looked back up, “It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Evans and I appreciate your offer, but I’ll be fine, I don’t want to put either of you out.” She reached for the chair, Chris realized what she was doing and pulled it over for her and helped her sit down.

“Ah, I see you are hard-headed, I can relate, I’ve birthed a child or two who have that trait,” she said with a smile, looking directly at Chris, “If we were put out, as you say, we wouldn’t be here at all. So, I’m going to use my mom voice, you need to get a shower, get refreshed, and get fed. You also need out of this room so you can get yourself centered. You have two choices, leave with me or leave with my son, but you will leave this room tonight.”

Chris had to suppress a laugh, this is why he brought his mom along; there was no way Harper would be able to say no to his mom. Well, that and he knew that once his mom met her, she would possibly understand why he had feelings for Harper, even if he didn’t quite understand them himself.

“I have to stay here for Aiden, I can’t leave.”

“Wow! You really are hard-headed,” Chris was a little shocked at how firm she was on this, but he wasn’t relenting. “Look, we get it, you can do this on your own, and you want everyone to know it. But it’s okay to give in and let someone help you. When there are people that come into your life, one way or another, and they say they want to help, let them!”  
  
“Becky told me you kept this in Aiden’s room,” Lisa held up the duffel bag that had been brought in earlier, “Let me take you to a private room where you can take a shower. If you’d prefer, I can take you over to Christopher’s Haven or to a hotel room, and you can get some rest in a real bed.”

Harper hung her head, she was done fighting, it wasn’t getting her anywhere, and she was going to risk making the two of them furious if she kept it up. She just didn’t know how to accept help from strangers; even though she had dinner with Chris, essentially he was a stranger. The idea of being his friend was intriguing, but to be honest, once the newness wore off, he would lose interest. And, he’s famous, so he will jet off to make a movie, and she will be alone again. It was easier to keep him at a safe distance and stop a ‘relationship’ of any type from starting instead of being broken when it was over. All of these feelings revolved around her, she wasn’t even going down the path of what it would do to Aiden.

Her voice faint, she finally answered, “Okay, I’ll go down the hall, but please don’t leave him. I don’t want him to wake up and be alone.” She took the bag from Lisa’s hand and began to walk out of the room.

Chris walked to the door, watching her walk away. Becky was in the hall, just outside the door, and she watched in amazement as Harper shuffled down the hall. “Becky, she didn’t want mom to go with her, can you just check on her once she’s in the room to make sure she doesn’t pass out or fall. I think she barely has enough energy to stand.”

“Yeah, I’ll check on her,” she looked back at Chris, watching the concern on his face, “Does she realize it yet?”

He looked over at her, admittedly confused, “Realized what, exactly?

“How bad you have it for her,” the smirk on Becky’s face could not be contained.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he started to stutter.

“You won’t, but I will. I’ve never called you for anything and had you show up so quick,” Becky started to chuckle and walk off, turning to look over her shoulder she retorted, “Hell, we dated, and you never paid that much attention to me! It’s sweet Chris, I just hope she realizes how lucky she is.”

Chris shook his head and turned to go back into Aiden’s room, he noticed that his mom was watching him closely. As he sat in the chair that Harper had occupied, he finally looked across the bed, “What? You’re staring at me, Ma. Say what you’re thinking.”

She smiled and shook her head, “I just believe that you've fallen hard in a short period of time; it worries me, but I can certainly see why. She’s headstrong, and a challenge and heaven knows you like that. She has a hard time accepting help, but she needs it, this is too much for her,” she looked at Aiden and smiled, “He is a beautiful boy, I can only imagine how hard it is for her to go through this situation.”

He didn’t respond to what his mom said, he just listened to the hypnotic beeps of the machines. After a few moments, he choked out, “What if I’m not what she wants? Maybe I’m pushing, and she’s pushing back, and I’m just too far gone to notice?”

“She’s focused on her son, which is where she is supposed to be focused, by the way. You have to stop pushing and just be respectful; I think you should tell her that you’re at least interested in her, though.”  
“Why would I do that? Won’t that just make it worse?

“Maybe, but right now, Chris, you’re the only one in this relationship, and you have to admit that it’s not working out for you either.”

~*~  
Harper had willed herself down the hall toward Aiden’s old room. She was weak and unsteady on her feet, but she was not going to let herself stumble or fall. She wanted to be angry that Chris and his mom were making her do this; however, she knew she needed it and knew they were trying to help. As she opened the door to his old room, she looked down the hall toward the ICU bay and noticed that Chris was watching her.

She closed the door and made her way to the small bathroom; she had used this bathroom plenty of times when preparing to leave and go to work. She took her time undressing, she was off-balance and did not want to fall. There was no way she wanted anyone coming in to help her up; that was an embarrassment she did not need. She turned on the water and gingerly stepped under the stream of hot water. It felt good, she didn’t move, electing to brace herself against the wall and letting the water just fall over her. It didn’t take long for the impact of the events of the last week to flood her mind: Aiden’s setback, losing her job, trying to figure how to pay for Aiden’s care, and the ultimate kindness of strangers. She let the tears flow, but she kept her sobs quiet; she did not like to cry or show her emotions in front of people, and she had cried in front of Chris twice. From this point forward, she had to find a way to keep herself together.

She turned off the water, towel dried her hair and body and got dressed. Luckily her bag had a blow dryer and a small makeup bag; she quickly tried to fix herself up to resemble a live human being. She quickly stuffed her dirty clothes into the bag and made her way to a nearby chair to put on her socks and shoes. She would have to make a trip home in the next day or two so she could replenish the clothes in the bag. As she was contemplating how she would make this happen, she heard a faint knock on the door.

“Harper, it’s Becky are you doing okay in there?”

“You can come in Becky, I'm all right,” as Becky opened the door she noticed that Harper was lacing up her shoes, “I didn’t realize how badly I needed that.”

“I wasn’t trying to rush you, I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

"Oh, thank you, but no, I’m good.” Harper stood up and grabbed her bag, putting her shoulders back and trying to give off the impression that she felt so much better, she began walking towards the door and down to the ICU bay. Becky was following close behind, not taking a chance that she might drop or pass out.

As she approached the door, she turned to face the nurse, “I know I probably shouldn’t ask this, but I know you’re reducing the sedatives for my son. Do you have any idea when he might wake up?”

Becky hated it when parents asked this question, it was not an easy or uniform answer, “I have to give you an answer that you won’t like. It takes as long as it takes. Jesus, I hate to give that answer Harper, I really do, but each patient reacts differently. I’m afraid of giving you an answer that gives false hope or proves to be a disappointment.”

“I understand; it isn’t fair for me to even ask. But you know, I had to,” Harper turned and slowly slid the door opened, noticing that Chris and Lisa appeared to be in a deep conversation.

Chris jumped up as he heard the door, “Hey there, feeling better?” He walked to her side, sliding an arm around her waist and guiding her to the chair. He was overprotective, he hoped she wouldn’t mind.

“Yeah, I think I do. Thanks for keeping him company, I guess there was no change?” She tried to be optimistic in her question, but it was evident that nothing had transpired in the time she was gone.

“No, sorry, no changes,” Lisa offered quietly.

The three sat in silence for a minute or two just looking at the little boy in the bed. Finally, Chris got the nerve to speak, "Harper, can I please take you to get something to eat? At least let me run you through a drive-thru if you don’t want to eat in a restaurant.”   
"Oh, I don't think so," she looked up at him, she was staring into his eyes, damn those eyes, those lips, that jawline. This man was beautiful, and she was suddenly at a loss for words. “I know you think I’m trying to be difficult, I’m not, I guess I just don’t know how to take kindness from people. It’s hard for me to accept it.”

Lisa Evans stood up and took a few steps toward the bed, “Well my dear you need to get used to it. I wasn’t kidding earlier; you need to get out of this room for at least an hour.” She walked around the end of the bed and took Harper’s hand, pulling her up from the chair. “So, here’s what we’re going to do, Chris is going to stay here with Aiden, while you and I go out. If Aiden wakes up, Chris will call us immediately.”  
  
There was no sense in arguing, Harper had the feeling that people didn’t tell Lisa Evans ‘no.’ She had the feeling that Chris wanted to discuss the decision his mother had made, but he just kept his head down and took the seat next to the bed. As the two of them started to walk out of the room, he did yell and ask them to bring him something to eat.

Harper was quiet as they exited the hospital and walked out into the parking garage. She slid into the passenger seat of the black Lexus, which she learned was Chris’ car and buckled her seatbelt. She made no suggestions of where to go, but when asked, she did say she preferred casual and close. Evidently, Lisa knew just the spot as she pulled into the parking lot of a small diner that was a few blocks down from the hospital.

The diner, which looked like an old train car, was very casual and at this time of night, very quiet. They took a booth in the back corner. The waitress was there right away to take their food and drink order; and with that out of the way, Lisa wanted to get to know this woman.

“Chris tells me that you have no family here in Boston. I’m sure that is making this whole ordeal even harder on you, please know that we are willing to help in any way we can.”

“I actually have no family at all. Everyone has passed away, Aiden is all I have left,” she looked out the diner window, trying to think of what to say or how to say it, “You know I try not to dwell on it, I just try to get through the day. I appreciate your offer, Mrs. Evans, it is very generous of you.”

"Lisa, just call me Lisa, Mrs. Evans sounds so formal," she offered a smile in the hopes of breaking the ice a little more, "I get it, you don’t want to rely on others, and you want to prove you can do this. I can totally admire your strength for what you have gone through already. However, you need to accept help from time to time, you shouldn’t be ashamed to admit that you need it.”

Harper took a moment to collect her thoughts before she spoke, “Mrs. Evans, sorry, Lisa, I think I’ve been on my own for so long, I’m just not used to it when someone offers assistance. Maybe it’s a pride thing, I don’t know.”  
  
“Well, I don’t think you can consider us strangers, you’ve seen my son a few times now. He seems to like you, and he enjoys visiting with your son,” she looked up to see if Harper had a reaction to her comments about Chris. Sure enough, it looked as if she had a bit of a twinkle in her eye, “I take it that you’ve enjoyed his visits as well?”

Harper smiled, she was afraid she was blushing, “He’s a very nice man and I’m thoroughly embarrassed that I didn’t know who he was when I first met him. Aiden, well he idolizes him, well, Captain America, I mean.”  
  
“Well, from what Chris tells me, and from what I’ve seen first-hand, you’re an exceptionally caring and loving mother; you think of Aiden first and make sure he is taken care of. The problem is, no one is looking out for you or taking care of you. So, I’m going to make that my mission,” Lisa smiled, reaching out to touch the younger woman’s hand. “Harper, we want to help you, so let us. There is no expectation of a repayment, that’s not how this works. And so you know, Chris is the driving force behind this, he feels a connection to you, I’m here for the extra support.”

Harper could not believe what she was hearing, Lisa was admitting that Chris was behind this. How was this even possible? But before she could respond or ask questions, the waitress appeared with their food. She was starving, something she had not admitted to anyone when they had asked back at the hospital. However, she didn’t order anything big, after not eating for a few days, it would be hard to keep anything down. She picked at her food, and what she did eat, she ate slowly.

After a few moments of silence, she spoke up, her voice quiet and barely audible. “If it wouldn’t be an imposition, they’re slowly taking Aiden off the sedatives, before he comes out of his coma, I need,” Harper took a deep breath, unsure if she could continue. “I need to get my personal effects from my office and do some laundry. Would there be a possibility that you could sit with Aiden for me? I know I left him alone when I worked, but I can’t bear the thought of him being all alone, in his current condition.”

Lisa looked up; she was actually surprised that Harper was asking. She was happy she was but surprised none the less. “Absolutely, I can make time tomorrow if that will work. I understand your concern, and I will be happy to help. So tell me, what is that you do and where do you work?”  
“Um...well, I don’t work any longer,” she hung her head in what could only be described as shame, “I had to the leave the office in a hurry the other day when Aiden took a turn. I was working on a project that had a deadline, and my boss told me I couldn’t leave, but I left anyway. So, he fired me for insubordination and job abandonment.”

Lisa threw her napkin down on the table, “Are you serious? How in the world can he do that?”

“He owns the company; he can do what he wants. I defied him, I knew it was a possibility,” Harper admitted. “I told him it was a family emergency, but he doesn’t know about Aiden’s condition. To be honest, I’m not even sure he realizes I’m a single mother. Or maybe he does and doesn’t care.”

“What kind of company did you work for, Harper? How in the world could someone not care when there is a family emergency?”  
  
“I worked a real estate development company and a gentleman named Max Kinkaid. I was a project manager and would review contracts and help line up the pieces of the project and hold everyone to deadlines. There were several very high-profile deals in the works, and the financing is tight; I walked out in the middle of preparing a presentation for investment partners.”

“So, now I understand why you haven’t been eating much; the stress this week has been pretty heavy for you. Have you talked to anyone at the hospital yet, about your situation?”

“No! I don’t want to, at least not yet. He’s covered through the end of the month, and I’m going to start looking right away for a new job so that I can get him insurance. I’ll pay for COBRA and sell everything I have to pay for treatment. I don’t want to go the route of Medicaid, but I will swallow my pride if I have to. I’ll do whatever it takes, I’ll even live in the hospital room if I have to.”

“I am sure you won’t have to do that,” Lisa offered.

“I hope not, but I have to be realistic. It will be hard to go out and look for a job while being here with Aiden.”

“Well, I’ll help when I can. I could possibly stay with Aiden when you go interview, that would help to ease your burden,” Lisa smiled and hoped that Harper would see that there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. “So, what time would you want me to come to the hospital tomorrow?”

“Would 9 am be too early?” Harper asked cautiously.

“Not at all,” Lisa responded with enthusiasm, “And, Harper, I have some friends that I can contact to see if they might have some leads for job openings. I know it is easier said than done, but try not to worry about it, okay?”

Harper nodded her head and looked down at her plate, she had barely eaten, but she felt better. For some reason, she had found it easy to talk to Lisa and to open up about what was going on. It must be a family trait since she had discovered that about Chris as well.

 


	5. Chapter 5

The ladies requested their checks, and while they were settling up, Harper boxed up her leftovers to take back to the hospital with her, hoping that she might get hungry later. By the time they pulled into the parking garage, they had been gone for almost 90 minutes and Harper was anxious to get back to the room; she knew that nothing had happened because they had not received a phone call. However, the need to get back to the room was overwhelming, they pace of her steps increased as she exited the elevator and began walking towards Aiden’s room.

As she reached the door, she was out of breath; she waited for Lisa to catch up and she tried to calm her breathing. With Lisa finally at her side, she slowly slid the door open to the room and found Chris sitting on the edge of bed, reading to Aiden. He had picked up a book, one that happened to be Aiden’s favorite, and was reading as if he had an eager and attentive audience. He was animated, although not loud, and he provided a different voice for each character. She stayed just in the doorway, not wanting to disturb Chris, she wanted to just watch and listen because this was such a sweet scene and she wanted to enjoy it.

Harper was so lost in the moment, she forgot that Lisa was there until she heard her whisper in her ear, “He reads like that to Ethan and Miles all the time; he loves it. It is so sweet, and he will make the most amazing dad one day.”

She smiled, Lisa was right, he would be an amazing dad. She couldn’t help but think that Aiden deserved to have a dad like that; would David be that type of dad if he were still alive? She cursed herself for even asking herself that question. Harper cleared her throat and took a step forward, “I see you found Aiden’s books?”

Chris was startled, “Oh! Hey there, yeah, I hope you don’t mind? I thought maybe a story would be nice,” he smiled broadly, “I thought it would be a treat since he’s been so good. I didn’t have to yell at him for swinging from the ceiling or anything.”

“Well, we did have a long talk before I left. I told him that swinging from the ceiling would be inappropriate,” she returned Chris’ smile.

“I was serious the other night you know; you should do that smiling thing more often.”

Harper could feel her face start to flush; she was saved by Lisa clearing her throat to announce her presence, holding up the bag from the diner. “Thanks, Ma, I’m starving! So, did you two have a nice chat?” He began digging into his sandwich while he waited for their response.

“We certainly did,” Lisa offered, “As a matter of fact, Chris, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Um,” he thought for a moment, “I don’t think I have any. Probably goofing off with Scott, why?”

“Great! I will fill you in on the way home. Come on, we are going to leave Harper and Aiden for the evening, we’ll see them in the morning.” Lisa walked over and gave Harper a hug, “If you need anything tonight, you call me, you got it?”

“Yes, thank you so much,” Harper released from the hug and walked over to the chair where Chris was seated. He hurried and put the remains of his sandwich to the side and stood to face her. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you for coming to check on me.”

This time, it was his turn to flush with embarrassment, he was not expecting her to kiss him. “It was my pleasure, and you’re welcome! I’ll talk to you tomorrow I guess,” he turned to walk away, “Oh, I almost forgot, I had Becky bring you a few more pillows and blankets to make the couch more comfortable. It’ll be better on your neck than sleeping in that chair.”

~*~  
For the majority of the drive home, no words were spoken between Chris and Lisa. About ten minutes before pulling into the driveway, he finally broke the silence and got the nerve to ask, “So, how was dinner? You wanna give me your impression of Harper?”

"Wow, only took you twenty-five minutes to get up the nerve to ask, that has to be a record!"

"Hilarious, Ma, since you said we’ll see her tomorrow, I’m going to guess things went well.”

“It did go well. I think she believes asking for help is a sign of weakness; I set her straight and let her know it wasn’t and that she also has to learn to accept help if someone is offering it. And I also let her know that not all offers of help come with strings or expectation of repayment.”

“I don’t know why she thinks like that. Is it because she’s been alone for so long she doesn’t know what it’s like to have people around who want to help?”

“I think that is it exactly! Tomorrow I’m going to sit with Aiden while she has a few errands to run. I’d like for you to go with her,” she looked over at her son, knowing he would be smiling at this news. “I know that’s asking a lot of you, but I thought you could help her clean out her office and provide some support for her.”

“Yeah, you are sure asking a lot, ma,” he was smiling, just as she had expected, “I’ll gladly help her out, but what am I missing? Why is she cleaning out her office? Did she quit her job or something?”  
  
“No, she didn’t quit, she got fired. When she had to leave when Aiden took his turn for the worse, her boss didn’t approve of her leaving, so he fired her. They told her she can come in and clean out her office, and I think she could use some moral support, I want you to be that for her.”

Chris could feel his blood pressure rising, the heat building in his neck and face. “What kind of company fires a woman for leaving for her child’s medical emergency?” He was getting more and more angry as he considered this, “How in the hell is she supposed to find a job with Aiden in the hospital, Ma?”

“Calm down, Chris, I know you’re upset. I have to tell you, I totally agree, but take a deep breath, okay. We can help her, I already told her I would call a few people, and I’ll see if I can help find her a job,” Lisa had to admit that the chivalry her son was displaying was unexpected and quite sweet. She was proud of him for taking up the cause and just hoped he could keep his emotions in check at Harper’s office tomorrow. “I guess you won’t complain any if you had to sit with Aiden if she went on a job interview? She said she would sell her stuff and would give up her apartment to pay for his care, I won’t let that happen, and I know you won’t either. We’re going to help her, I promise.”

He did as his mom said; he took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel as hard as he could. They were blocks from the house, and he just had to stay focused to get home. When he pulled the car into the garage, he got out and marched into the house and up to his room; he didn’t even acknowledge his brother and sister in the living room.

Lisa walked into the house, placing her purse on the hall table and shuffling through the mail that was there. She finally went into the living room where everyone was seated and watching her intently.

“So where have you two been all night? I see that Chris seems rather upset, and frankly, you look a little worn out yourself,” Carly asked.

“We were in downtown at the Children’s Hospital,” Lisa answered as she lowered herself into the fluffy chair next to the fireplace.

“Do we know anyone in the hospital?” Ryan asked while looking over at his wife, Carly.

“No, we don’t; but Chris went the other day, and he now has this crush on the mother of a dying child. I am going to guess that is where you were, visiting his new girlfriend?”

“Show some respect,” Chris demanded as he came back down the steps. “Look, you don’t ‘approve’ of me having concern for Harper that is fine. But have some respect for a dying child. You know this woman is a single mom fighting to stay afloat and frankly, she’s pretty amazing.”

“Oh, poor Chris he’s got it bad doesn’t he?” Carly remarked snidely.

“Carly, that's enough!” Lisa chastised her, “I was skeptical about this situation but after talking to Chris and more importantly, to Harper, I see his feelings are genuine. It is actually very sweet how he is watching out for both of them. It is unconventional to be sure, but don’t belittle his feelings.”

Carly felt sufficiently whipped, “Wow, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how serious you were about her.”

“Yeah, well she is oblivious to the fact that I have feelings for her. She isn’t asking for anything, and I’m certainly not pushing, but she’s alone, and I want to help.”

“Ok, I’ll back off, just promise you’ll be careful, all around.”

He walked out of the room, into the kitchen, grabbed a beer and walked right past everyone without saying a word and headed back upstairs. Once he was out of earshot, Lisa spoke up. “Carly, maybe you should come and visit and see Harper. That way you can judge for yourself if what he is feeling is real. I had dinner with her tonight, and she doesn’t want help, but she is going to accept it. I think you are too judgmental.”

Carly loved her brother and wasn’t one to interfere with his relationships; she was just concerned that this could end poorly for both of them and since a child was involved the stakes were higher. He had never been in a relationship where there was a child involved, and she was concerned that he might be underestimating the situation. Maybe her mom was right, maybe she should not be quick to judge and instead, offer him support; but she would keep an ‘I told you so” handy, just in case.

~ * ~  
Harper was pacing around the room; this was really helpful in her thinking process although she was sure people thought she was insane. It provided an opportunity to work on everything that was zinging through her brain and to put them into coherent phrases and topics. The item weighing heavily today was the visit to the office. She was not looking forward to facing her former coworkers and having them watch as she gathered her things. Typically, when someone was let go, HR would box up their personal belongings and have them sent to them. She was surprised when she was told that Max was allowing her to personally retrieve her things.

She was hoping he would not be in the office when they arrived; she did not want to face him. There was a degree of anger when she lost her job, it was to be expected of course, but she was not sure if she could keep the anger or the emotions in check if when she came face to face with him. There was a part of her that wished she would have asked Chris or Lisa to get her things on her behalf, but that would have been the coward’s way. She knew she had to face the music.

Her pacing was interrupted by the sound of the glass door sliding open; stopping mid-pace she turned toward the door and saw Chris and Lisa walking in. She did not expect to see Chris, this was a surprise and not a bad one at all. Damn, he got better looking each time she saw him; today it was the bright blue oxford shirt setting off his eyes. Her breath caught, and she hoped he didn’t notice, it took a minute to get herself to back to a regular breathing pattern.

“Good Morning, how’s he doing? Any change?” Lisa asked as she motioned toward Aiden.

“Morning!” She tried to sound chipper and unphased by the shock of seeing Chris, “He’s good, vitals are strong, and his eyes were fluttering earlier. The nurses think that might be a sign that he’ll wake up this afternoon,” she walked over to the bed, kissed Aiden’s forehead and put her hand on his hand, “I just hope he waits until I get back.”  
  
“Well, that is very encouraging. I hope you don’t mind, I decided to bring Chris along. I thought I would stay here with Aiden and Chris could drive you to the apartment and office. He can help you carry your things; no sense in you doing all the lifting - that’s what boys are for.” Lisa said with a wink; she just hoped that Harper didn’t see through her ruse to allow the two of them to be alone.

“Well, that was very thoughtful, thanks for agreeing to help, Chris. Let me grab my purse and keys and we can go,” Harper began looking around for her things; she grabbed the duffel bag and started walking to the door. She stepped toward Lisa and gave her a hug, “Thank you so much.”

Lisa smiled and returned the hug, “Good luck to you today, Aiden and I will hold down the fort.”

Harper and Chris walked out to the car, he opened the door for her, closing it once she was in and settled. She didn’t realize that guys still did that sort; chivalry was in fact not dead. He walked around, got in, fastened his seat belt and broke the silence, “So, are we going to your apartment or the office first?”

“They are close to one another, but I should probably go home first. I can make myself a little more presentable before I go into the office.”

“Not sure about that, you already look great; but if it will make you feel better than to the apartment we go. So, where am I driving to?

“Billerica, about 30 minutes from here.”

“Ok, I know the general direction; you can navigate as we get closer.”

“Deal! I feel like I should apologize for having a small apartment that is completely underwhelming. I am sure you are used to big swanky houses and living lavishly,” Harper chuckled nervously, “I think it will be obvious that I am not a big movie star or anything.”

“You know, I hate to tell you this, but you’ve got the wrong idea about me. I’m just a regular guy from Boston, I grew up in a modest home and lived well, but we weren’t rich by any means. I mean yeah, my dad is a successful dentist, but we were still middle class.”

“Well you are a big time movie star, so I figured you have a big house and live this really fancy life,” Harper realized she probably sounded like a fool, it might be best for her to shut up, she was nervous and had a tendency to ramble.

“Well, it’s true that I have been in movies and yes, several of them have been big. I’ve got a nice car, I’ve paid off mom’s mortgage, and I’ve got a place in LA, but I always prefer to be in Boston. I’m not a fan of the LA lifestyle, I’m not a fan of the attention, either. I’m not comfortable in those situations.”

“I thought all actors loved and craved the attention?” Harper responded back to him.

“So, you don’t know many of us do you?” Chris chuckled and glanced over at her, “I don’t like having the spotlight on me, Chris the person. I like acting, hell, I love it, it’s fun! I just don’t like doing interviews and talking about myself; it seems so pretentious and fake. And press conferences and I do not get along, at all. I like the work, just not everything else that goes with it.”

“I had no idea, I just thought everyone that went into the profession wanted the attention, fame and all of the perks. Although, I would expect the photographers chasing you around would get old.” Harper fidgeted with her hands and didn’t quite know how to talk to him; even though Chris was very personable and charming, she didn’t know how to react. “So, are you on a break or something right now?”

“Yeah, just finished a movie and I’ve got some time off before we have to do the press for it, then I start working on another project. I needed some down time, luckily the photographers leave me alone when I am in Boston, which is why I come here versus staying in LA.”

“So, tell me, who exactly is Chris Evans? I feel like when I have seen you, it is all about me, which I find odd. Tell me about this guy that is playing the hero and driving me to my apartment and office.”

Chris started to laugh, “Well, let’s see. You’ve met my mom, I’ve got two sisters and a brother. We're kind of tight-knit; supportive of one another, and when I’m in town I stay with mom in the house I grew up in.”

“Really, so you are a momma’s boy? I guess I can see that you two seem very close.”

“Yeah, we are very close, and she is super supportive and is very involved in my life and my career,” he glanced over and Harper and realized he probably said more than he should have. “Sorry, I know that is probably something you miss.”

“Honestly, I never had it to miss it. My mom wasn’t thrilled when I moved to North Carolina for school and even less so when I married David. She complained I was too far away, that I was too young to get married, even though I was the same age she was when she married my dad. We were just different people.”

“What happened to your parents? I mean from what you have said, you are alone, so I guess they have passed?”

“They were killed in a car accident, killed by a drunk driver. They never saw it coming; which is good I guess and from what the police said, they never felt a thing. It happened shortly after David and I were married,” Harper glanced over and caught Chris’s eye, “The regret I have is that we didn’t make peace before it happened, of course, they never got to meet Aiden.”

“I’m really sorry Harper, I cannot even imagine what that is like.”

“Can we talk about something different?”

“Absolutely! So, when Aiden gets out of the hospital, I want to take him on a real tour of this beautiful city. I’m gonna bet he has never been to Fenway Park!”

“No, sadly I am not a baseball fan, so we have not made our way there. I am sure he would love it, though. He’s pretty gullible, so I bet you could make him a Red Sox fan. Hell, if you asked nice enough, you could make him a Patriots fan, too,” she started to laugh and soon he was joining her. It felt good to laugh; she needed that in a big way.

Harper gave Chris some navigation and they pulled into the apartment complex where she lived. They were modest apartments, three-story brick structures situated in a square with a park, children’s play area and a community pool in the middle. The grounds were well taken care of and seemed like a safe area to live. Chris had to admit that the town and the apartment complex indeed appeared to fit with what he had expected for Harper.

She directed him toward her building, and he pulled into a parking spot closest to her unit. He exited the car and came around to Harper’s side where she was already getting out, he shut her door and began walking towards her apartment.

“I have a 2nd-floor unit so I hope you don’t mind the steps. I really wanted the ground floor but at the time I moved in, this was all that was available.” She fiddled with the lock and opened the door, “Well, welcome to my humble abode, it’s tiny, but it’s home; please, make yourself comfortable.”

As the two of them entered the apartment, the were in the living room; the kitchen was on their immediate left. Chris realized she was exaggerating when she described the apartment as tiny, but he was going to be polite about it. “This is a nice place, I don’t think you should call it tiny, though, you should go for comfortable, or even cozy.”  
  
The living room had stark white walls, which was one disadvantage of apartment life; painting the walls was not an option either. He could tell from her furniture, Harper had a particular lifestyle before her world changed with David’s death. The couch was a soft butter yellow, it looked like a piece of furniture you would fall into and never want to get out of, the accent pillows were in cranberry and olive-green, making the room look sophisticated but so livable. The accent chairs matched the pillow colors, and the room was pulled together with a cream shag rug that you just wanted to roll around on. There were double French doors that led to the balcony, and they were flanked by large wooden bookcases; Chris was drawn to them because of all of the pictures.

He looked over all of the photos carefully but was drawn to one, in particular, he picked it up and turned toward Harper, “This one is my favorite, it is a beautiful picture of the two of you,” he commented regarding the framed black and white photo.

“Thank you, it’s my favorite as well. It was right before Aiden got sick, he was four in that picture, he was happy, healthy and full of life.” She walked over to stand next to Chris, “He is such a goofball, and you can see it in that picture, but cancer has sucked that all away. I just want my goofy little boy back.”

“Oh, it will. I knew when I met Aiden that he had a little mischief in his eyes. I am sure he can be a handful.”

“Well, yeah that is an understatement,” She said with a laugh, “Please make yourself at home. I’d like to take a quick shower; I sort of forgot what it was like to take one in my own bathroom since I’ve been using the hospital shower for so long. You don’t mind waiting, do you?”  
  
“No, I don’t mind at all. Can I do anything around here for you while I’m waiting for you? Want me to run a load of laundry? I bet those Captain America pajamas could use a wash! Hint hint, wink wink!”  
  
“Oh, hey, that's an excellent idea! Let me get the duffel bag,” she unzipped the bag and began to rifle through it, “Ok, here are both pairs of Captain America pajamas and his Superman pajamas. I tell you what, I’ll start the load, would you mind to keep your ears open and throw them in the dryer if it goes off before I’m out of the shower?”  
  
“Wait? He has Superman pajamas? I thought I was his favorite? Man this is bursting my bubble!” Chris said and stuck out his lower lip in the most adorable pout.

“You are his favorite, but he had liked Superman before he liked Captain America,” Harper said as she gently patted Chris on the shoulder to console him over the news that there were other superheroes out there, “He will be your biggest fan from here on out, I am sure.”

“Hmpf, he better be,” Chris kept his lip out and pouted for effect. He was so comfortable with her and he really wanted this day to just be the two of them, like this.

Harper moved to the laundry closet just outside the bathroom, she tossed everything into the washer and then moved to her room to get her things for her shower. She turned and looked at Chris who still seemed to be entranced by the living room and the decor. He was extremely fascinated with the pictures on the wall and on the bookshelves.

Chris wandered into the kitchen and looked around then walked past the closed bathroom door into the small bedroom that was Aiden’s. Like the living room, the walls were stark white, but the decor was bright and sunny. There was a large picture window in the room, and Aiden’s bed was parallel to the window. His bedspread was blue, the sheets had Captain America on them, Chris could not help but smile. Next to the bed sat a desk, apparently, it was used as a nightstand as well as a desk. There were shelves built as a hutch along on the back, they were filled with toys, primarily Captain America, of course.  
He did notice, as he looked around the room, that Aiden was missing toys for the other members of The Avengers. Chris figured he would make a few phone calls and see if he could fix that. He turned to the left and noticed the large bookcase that encompassed the wall. He was so lost in reviewing the books on the shelf that he didn’t hear Harper step up behind him.

"Find anything interesting?" She asked, startling Chris and making him jump, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, you’re fine, I was just lost in thought. I’ve got to tell you, I love his room. He must love to read, he has so many books.”

"I began buying books the minute I found out I was pregnant. I’ve always loved books and reading and so did David. We just wanted to instill the love of books in our kids, too.”

"So, how many have you gotten through?"

"Oh, not nearly as many as I would like. He falls asleep so quick I never get very far. Hey, I put the stuff in the dryer so we should be able to leave shortly."

"Dang, I lost track of time, guess you can't count on me for laundry duty."

Chris and Harper walked back into the living room, and he took a good look at her. Her hair was swept back, and her makeup was subtle, and she looked vibrant and alive. He could not help that he was staring at her.

"Is something wrong? Do I look terrible?

"No, far from terrible. You’re beautiful, and I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.”  
  
Harper had to admit to herself that Chris’s comments regarding her appearance were unsettling. She never thought of herself as attractive, she was just plain. Not ugly but not a beauty and definitely not worthy of someone like Chris. The attention he paid to her was not something she was prepared for and just didn’t know how to react to.

The two sat quietly in the living room, on opposing ends of the couch listening to the hum of the dryer. The silence was awkward and luckily it was quickly broken by the melody that signaled the end of the dryer cycle. She catapulted herself off of the couch and moved to retrieve the clothes. After quickly folding everything and repacking the duffle bag, she walked back toward the living room.

She noticed that Chris was leaning forward on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, one arm up with his chin resting on his thumb and his fingers in front of his mouth. He had a mischievous smirk on his face.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Harper began to smooth out her clothes, fearing something was wrong with the way she looked.

“Nothing is wrong. Quit fidgeting, you look fine,” he responded, but the smile never left. He moved to stand up and took a few steps toward her, “I just enjoyed watching you do the most normal thing in the world, fold clothes and put them away. I know, that sounds ridiculous, I’m sorry. I guess I am sappy about normal things.”

“You enjoyed watching me fold clothes?”

“Yeah, I told you it’s silly. But when you rush around on movie sets and your schedule is all crazy, the ordinary and mundane, well, you miss it.”

“Oh, okay. Well, feel free to come over anytime and wash and fold my clothes when you need a sense of normalcy. Just make sure you actually listen for the washer to go off,” she gave him a devilish grin, and he couldn’t resist a laugh at her sarcasm and wit. “I have my duffel bag packed, are you ready to go?”  
  
“I am, let me carry that,” he said as he moved to take the bag from her hand. His hand grazed her’s, and he felt the electricity when they touched. She resisted letting the bag go but eventually gave in, “I wouldn’t be a proper gentleman if I didn’t carry your bag to the car.”

“Oh, yeah the chivalry thing again. Sorry, guess I can’t get used to that.”

“Well you better, I’m not planning on stopping it anytime soon.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are enjoying this story - would love to hear your feedback  
> Thanks for reading!

With the bag packed, Harper was ready to leave the apartment and go to the office. She was nervous but trying not to show it. Chris exited the apartment first, she walked behind, turning to lock the door, then following him down the stairs and to the car. He held the car door open for her, allowing her to slide in and then closing the door behind her. She watched as he walked around the car, putting the bag into the back seat, before climbing into the driver seat.

He fastened his seatbelt, then turned to her, “Alright, navigator, where are we going now? How do we get to the office?”

“Head to the exit of the complex and then turn right. After you pass through the third stoplight, it is the large office building on your right.”  
  
“Seriously? Wow, that is a quick trip. Doesn’t take you long to get to work each morning.”  
  
“Was a quick trip,” Harper corrected, “When I worked there, and I was staying at the apartment. It is a haul to go back and forth from the hospital on a daily basis.” Harper stared out the window, she was afraid if she looked at Chris she would see pity in his eyes, she didn’t think she could take it. He was sent along as support, but she didn’t want to appear weak in front of him.

“My mom told me what happened, Harper, you might need to hold me back.”

She smiled at this comment, she figured it was for show, but it was sweet. She had fears of her own that she would reach across and smack Max for firing her. She thought she might have a lawsuit for wrongful termination but beating the hell out your former employer might just negate that.

He eased into the parking lot for the office and turned to look at her, “I’m going in to be supportive and act in any capacity that you might need me. Are you ready to do this?”

She couldn’t speak. Instead, she just nodded her head in acknowledgment. Chris turned off the ignition, sighed heavily then stepped out of the car, walking over to help Harper out, locking the door behind her. He walked her to the office door, following her in and calmed his breathing to keep from blowing up immediately.

The lobby of the building was elegant and looked like a courtyard. There was a large reception desk in the middle and multiple glass door entryways for the offices on the exterior of the building. Harper walked past the reception desk and directly to the bank of elevators on the back wall; she pushed the 'up' button. She turned to Chris and explained, "The office where I worked was on the 3rd floor. Everyone down here is in the residential real estate division; all of the corporate development was upstairs.” As the elevator arrived, Chris noticed that Harper had a slight tremor in her hands; she was nervous.

As they exited to the elevators on the 3rd floor, he noticed that her demeanor had changed. Where she appeared quiet and nervous before, she was now moving more confidently and the tremor in her hands had all but disappeared. The receptionist at the nearby desk stood as they approached.

“Hello Harper, it is nice to see you again. I just want you to know that almost all of us feel like you got a raw deal. We miss you," she paused a moment before continuing, "I hate to do this, but I have been told to call Heather, and she will escort you back to your office."

“Thank you, Melissa, I appreciate the support and I miss you all as well. I figured Heather would have to accompany me, it's okay,” She smiled and walked over to the side of the reception area and almost immediately, the behind Melissa's desk opened.

Heather McCord, the HR Manager, walked toward Harper and extended her hand, “Harper, it is nice to see you again." Harper shook her hand politely and smiled but offered no words, "Just to let you know, we have placed some boxes in the office for you to pack up your personal belongings. I will need to stay with you to ensure that no business documentation or property is removed, I am sure you understand. I take it this is a friend of yours?” Heather asked as she motioned towards Chris.

Harper answered her voice was flat and less than friendly, “Yes, this is Chris, he’s graciously offered to help carry out the boxes for me.”

“Oh, okay, well then let’s head back shall we?” Heather motioned through the open door and led Harper and Chris down the hall. Harper noticed that Max was in his office and on the phone as they walked by, she didn’t make eye contact and kept moving.

As they entered her old office, Harper was flooded with emotion. This whole situation was hard to understand and reconcile. She had the resolve to not shed a tear but the anger; well that was a different story. She walked around to the back of her desk and began to remove pictures from the bookshelf.

Chris took them from her and began placing them gently into the box that had been put on the desk. He noticed the pictures were all of Aiden at various ages; he was careful to put them in the box so they would not rattle and break. After a few moments, the bookshelf was cleared, and the box was completely packed.

“Chris, would you mind taking that one down to the car while I start on the next one?”

He did as he was asked, figuring she needed some time to begin processing the end of this job and would rather do that with him out of the room. As he made his way back into the office from the car, he noticed the man in the office a few doors down from Harper’s was walking his way.

“Hi, I’m Max Kinkaid, I saw you walk in with Harper, so I’m going to assume you’re here to assist her?”  
  
Chris stopped so he could address him; he extended his hand and offered a firm handshake in return. “Hi Max, I’m Chris, and your assumption would be correct.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Chris.”

“Sorry, I can’t say the same thing.”

Max was taken aback by the tone of Chris’s voice and the words that he spoke. He had never had anyone talk to him in that manner. “I’m sorry, come again?”

“I can’t say that is nice to meet the man who felt the need to fire Harper when she is going through so much right now. I guess I have just never truly met someone so mean-spirited.” With those words, Chris began to turn and walk away.

“Please come in my office a moment, I would prefer not to do or say anything further in an area where others might hear.”

“I really don’t know what you could say or do. I’ve said my peace, anyway.”

“I really don’t expect you to understand, I am not sure why I am even bothering to try to explain myself to you.”

“Really, you wouldn’t expect me to understand? Why exactly is that?”

“Well, honestly you don’t look like you run a business so you wouldn’t begin to know the pressure I’m under or what I have to do to make this place operate. I’ve got to rely on all of these folks here to work as a team to get things done, especially when there is a deadline in place. We had an investor meeting, and Harper was an integral part of the team that was putting the presentations together and providing the background for the meeting. She said she needed to leave for some emergency, but I told her no, she needed to stay. She was insubordinate, and I can’t have that.”

“I really can’t believe that you have been able to stay in business with an attitude like that. That woman is going through the most difficult time in her life, and you fire her." Chris took a deep breath and decided to walk away; he decided against it and walked back over to Max. "Are you married? Do you have children?"

"Divorced with two kids, not that it is your business. Why would that be remotely relevant?"

"Let me ask you, Max, if something happened to one of your children, and you had to leave, and your boss told you that you couldn’t go, would you stay or would you go?” Chris paused to see if Max would answer, he didn't. "You might not care about your children, but Harper adores her son. The boy is her life, and her world revolves around him. His is dying, so she doesn’t really give a shit about your investors and your presentation. You fired her because she rushed to his side; she did what every loving parent would do, and you told her that it wasn't important. I guess I see now why you’re divorced, and I’m going to assume why your ex-wife has your children."

"Wait, what did you say? Harper's son is dying? Are you serious?" Max was shocked at the brazen attitude of Chris but was completely caught off guard by the information about Harper’s son.

"Yes, he’s been in the hospital for months, he has cancer. He had a severe allergic reaction to his chemo drugs on Monday, and it almost killed him.”

Max sat down in his chair and put his head in his hands. "My God, I had no idea, she never told anyone.” Max looked up at Chris, “You’re sure? This isn’t some sort of joke, right?”

“I would never lie or joke about a kid dying. I’ve sat with Aiden; I know how bad his condition is right now. She was driving to Mass General every night and then was driving out here every morning. She only gets a little sleep, doesn’t eat and worries non-stop that Aiden will not make it through the day when she’s at work.”

“Why didn’t she tell us? Why isn’t she taking time off from work to be with him?”

“Those are questions you will have to ask her. You're telling me that no one in this office ever thought to ask if she was okay? I can’t believe that no one noticed how tired she looked and how she didn’t eat. For a ‘team’ you sure don’t seem to look out for one another,” With those words, Chris exited the room and walked back to Harper’s office. She was standing in the middle of the room looking at the packed boxes and doing a magnificent job of keeping it together.

“Hey, I was worried, what took you so long to come back?” Harper said as she turned and smiled at Chris.

“Your former boss stopped me to introduce himself. Frankly, I think it was more that I was a stranger in the office, and he wanted to know what I was doing here.”

Harper started to chuckle, “So he didn’t recognize you either?”

“No, guess he didn’t. Must be in the water out here,” as Chris moved to pick up a box, the door to Harper’s office opened and Max walked in. Chris stood back up and took a defensive position next to Harper.

“Heather, would you please excuse us for a few moments?” Heather nodded at Max and quietly exited the room. “Harper, your friend here tells me that I am an ass of the highest order.”

“I never used those words,” Chris interjected.

“Right, he didn’t use those words, but he made it clear that is what he thought,” Max shot Chris a stern look, “Harper what was the real reason you left the office when I told you not to?”

“Max, I don’t want to get into this. I’ve cleaned out my office, I am leaving, and this is over. Please don’t make this any more uncomfortable than it already is.”

“I am not trying to make this uncomfortable; I am only trying to understand something that your friend said to me.”

Harper looked at Chris who shrugged and smiled back at her, “Fine! I left because my son, Aiden, he had an anaphylactic allergic reaction to medication and his body was shutting down.”

“Is it true you had to rush from this office all the way to downtown Boston to Mass General?”

“Yes, that is true,” Harper shot an angry look at Chris; he had evidently told Max everything, “Max, my son was dying, and I was praying that he wouldn’t die before I got to the hospital. You didn’t want me to leave, you had your reasons, but my reasons outweighed yours. I don’t regret walking away, even though it cost me my job. I can easily replace a job, but I can’t replace Aiden.”

Max looked down at the floor and began shaking his head, “Why in the hell did you not tell anyone about Aiden? Did you think we wouldn’t help you? You let people in this office question your integrity and dedication to your job and whisper about you and never spoke up? Why didn’t you take time off? I am at a loss Harper; I really can’t understand.”

“I didn’t take time off because I can’t afford to! I didn’t want to use my vacation days because I might need them if Aiden was dying and I needed to be there to hold his hand and say goodbye,” Harper was angry, and there was no way that she was going to let tears fall, not this time. “I asked HR about taking time off, and they told me I could take FMLA, which is awesome, except for the fact that it is unpaid time and since I am a single mother, I can’t afford to not have a paycheck! So my options were to find a way to do my job and be at the hospital at night or be without a job. Money won out over spending every minute with my son. Pardon me that I didn’t tell you, I had more important things to worry about.”

Harper bent over and picked up one of the boxes and began walking toward the door, Max approached her and took it from her hands. “Harper, you have known all along that I care about you and think very highly of you. Why didn’t you come and talk to me?”

“Why? Max, did you ever hear the gossip that everyone thought I was sleeping with you? Did you ever hear them whisper that I was getting away with not taking work home at night because you would let me get away with anything? I started working here and moved up quick and not a damn one of those people out there think it is because I am a talented or smart woman, they think I’m screwing you.”

“I had no idea.”

“Of course, you didn’t. You work hard, and you come in and out of my office to talk to me, and it is all legitimate, and we have a good working relationship. We get along, and I had always respected you. But you’re the reason why I don’t have friends in this office. That’s why I never got invited out for drinks after work, they all made fun of me. I am sure the gossip mill was in a tizzy when they realized you fired me. They probably think it is because we broke up. Newsflash, we were never dating!”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything? I could have set it straight, and I would have worked something out with you in regards to Aiden and his situation.” Max was genuinely sorry, and he was trying to make Harper realize that he wanted to fix it.

“Chris, can you pick up that box? We need to go, I want to get back to the hospital,” Harper took the box back from Max and began walking out of the office. Chris followed close behind her, and he noticed that everyone in the office was watching her walk out.

She didn’t say a word as they left the office and entered the elevator. She didn’t even speak when they loaded the boxes in the car. No, she was holding off because she wanted to unleash her anger in the privacy of the vehicle, “Why in the hell did you feel the need to tell Max everything? I am, I," she stammered to find the right words, "I’m disappointed that you felt you needed to tell him when I worked for him for years and never mentioned it."

“Tell me, Harper, why is it that you never mentioned it? You don't get why I told him and for the life of me, I can't understand why you didn't! I can totally understand the need to be private and not wanting the office all up in your business, but you should have told your boss.”

“Oh my God, you tell him he is an asshole and then you defend him?”

“I’m not defending him; I just think you should have been honest with him. I am on your side, I swear.”

“Why did you feel it was your place to tell him?”

He didn't answer for a moment; he was still shocked they were arguing over this. “Please don’t be mad at me,” he pleaded. “I didn’t do it on purpose, and I had no agenda to tell him. He was trying to be nice, and I thought he was smug, and I just couldn't help myself. I just thought he should know what an ass he really is, and it just came out."

Harper could not respond; she was angry that Max knew, but she also realized that Chris was defending her honor. He was standing up for her even if she didn’t stand up for herself. There was a time when she would have stood up for herself and would stand her ground on issues and fight tooth and nail for what she believed in. But right now all of her fight was focused in one place only, and that was not on herself.

They rode in silence back to the apartment; they were going to drop the boxes off and head back to the hospital. When Chris put the car in park, Harper defiantly opened the door and got out. She wanted to show she could open her own door, and she didn’t need a man to do it for her. Chris walked to the back and opened the trunk and before he could do anything, she had reached in and grabbed a box and began marching towards the apartment steps. He realized she picked the heaviest box, the one he put in the car first.

The two boxes remaining in the trunk were light, and he was able to carry them together. He got to the top of the steps as Harper was marching back out of the apartment. She had to hurry up and put on the brakes as she was about to run him over. She quickly moved out-of-the-way and let him pass. He turned and noticed she was standing just outside the apartment.

“Can you please come in here a moment? I want to talk to you and clear the air before we drive back to Boston.”

Harper crossed her arms and looked angry, but she did as she was asked and walked into the apartment. Chris softly closed the door and led her to the living room and the fluffy couch.

“Look I know you are mad, you are making it very evident,” Chris started, “Let me tell you I couldn’t help it, seriously. I wanted to punch him, I really did. Maybe I should have done that instead.” Chris hung his head; he didn’t know how to get her to understand. “He was smug, and I am so furious that he fired you over something so ridiculous.”

She jumped from the couch, “What? You think Aiden being sick is ridiculous.”

He stood and faced her, putting his hands on her shoulders and squatting down to look her in the eyes, “No sweetheart, I think Max firing you over an investor presentation that he waited until the last-minute to do is what is ridiculous. I totally get that you are an independent woman, and you can take care of yourself, blah blah blah,” Chris said as he took his hands off her shoulders and stood up straight. “Once in a while, let someone else help you fight.”

He walked straight to the door, hand on the doorknob when she finally spoke, “I thought we were going to talk and clear the air?”

He took a deep breath before answering, “You don’t want to clear the air, Harper, you want to fight, and I am not going to do it. You want me to say that I am sorry for defending you? Ok, I am sorry, sorry that I wanted him to feel guilty and realize he let a good thing go. I’m sorry that I wanted to fight on your behalf because you deserve it. I’m sorry that I even tried.” He noticed that her head was lowered, and he knew he had probably gone too far, but it was too late to take any of it back, “I’m going to the car and when you’re ready to go, let me know, and I’ll get you back to the hospital.”

She looked up in time to watch him walk out of the apartment and close the door. She let him have his moment and then she locked the apartment door behind her and joined him. The drive to the hospital was quiet, neither of them spoke.

As he pulled into the parking garage at the hospital, Harper thought it might be good to talk. She waited until he pulled into a spot and as he put the car in park, Harper reached over and put her hand over his. “Chris, I am sorry. I guess my pride got in the way. I had not told anyone at the office about Aiden, and I didn’t want them to know and feel sorry for me. I was, and still am, angry that Max fired me. I hoped I wouldn’t have to see him today and then to see him and know that he had found out. I guess I just didn’t handle it well.” She let go of his hand and put her hands in her lap; she kept her head down, scared to look at him. “I don’t know how to handle people being nice to me and taking up my cause, I’m so used to being alone that I am not sure how to handle it when I am not.”

This time, Chris reached over and took ahold of Harper’s hand. With his other hand, he gently turned her face towards his, “I’m sorry if you think I betrayed you and told Max; I did it in the heat of the moment, but you need to know, I would do it again. You are special, and you deserve to be happy, and Max should be aware that he was stupid in letting you go.” Chris let his hand drop from her face, and let go of her hand. He looked away from her and lowered his head, looking down into his lap, “I wish you’d let me in Harper because I don’t want to fight with you.”

She didn’t say anything in response, the silence in the car was awkward for a moment. Chris broke it by opening the door and getting out of the car, he walked around and opened her door, offering his hand to help her out. They walked into the hospital together, but the chasm between them was noticeable.

Harper didn’t say a word as they walked down the hall toward Aiden’s room; she knew there was a chance that she would not see Chris again after today. She wouldn't blame him if he never came back. He was right, she was holding him at a distance because she didn’t know him that well. She was just too scared to let down her guard so she could get to know him or for him to know her.

Her worries about her friendship, or lack thereof with Chris, were cast aside when she got closer to Aiden’s room. They had been gone all day and had received no calls or updates regarding his condition. She figured it meant he didn’t get worse, but it also meant he didn’t get any better. But what scared her was the fact that the privacy curtain was 100% closed. Usually, there was a portion that was open so he could be monitored by the nurses. So, why was the curtain closed now? Surely this meant something had happened, and it could not be good. Chris noticed it as well, and he quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently to show support.

Harper gripped the handle and slowly slid the door open and pushed back the curtain. What she saw brought her to her knees; Aiden was sitting up in bed, clutching his shield pillow and talking non-stop to Lisa Evans. Chris quickly helped her back up, and she sprinted to the bed, pulling Aiden into an embrace.

Harper could not hold back the tears as she rocked him back and forth. She finally pulled back to get a good look at him, “You have no idea how happy I am that you are awake,” she kissed his head and gave him another hug.

“He woke up about two hours ago, the doctors have been in to see him and said they would stop back later to talk to you. He’s been bright-eyed and talkative; he is an absolute charmer,” Lisa offered as she took Chris’ hand, he had walked around the bed to stand next to her.

Chris couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face, seeing Aiden awake and the weight off of Harper’s shoulders, it was truly a blessing. He moved so he could see Aiden’s face, “Hey, buddy, how you feeling?”

The little boy’s eyes lit up when he realized who was talking to him, “I’m good, but mom’s squeezing kinda hard.”

Chris laughed at his remark and Harper quickly released him, moving so she was sitting next to him. She put her arm around him so she would not squeeze so hard. “Well, she’s just happy to see you awake, she’s been terribly worried about you.” He turned to look at his mom and thought he would ask the question that seemed to be lingering in the room, “Ma, why didn’t you call and tell us he was awake?”

“I did, three times and each time it went to voicemail. I figured you two had your hands full and would be back as soon as you could. I thought this would be a pleasant surprise after the stress of the afternoon. Besides, our time alone gave me an opportunity to read to him and to tell him all sorts of silly stories about my sons and the trouble they got into when they were little.”

Chris reached into his pocket for his phone and realized his ringer was off; he had, in fact, missed three phone calls.

“It is a fantastic surprise, I am so happy to have him back,” she took the opportunity to kiss his head again, and Chris noticed the tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

“Where did you go, momma? Why weren’t you here?” Aiden asked quietly.

“I had a few errands to run, and Chris was kind enough to take me. And Ms. Lisa was nice enough to stay with you while we were gone.”

“Did everything go alright?” Lisa was cautious in how she asked her question.

“Yeah, it was all right,” Chris responded, figuring it was best not to go into details for Aiden’s sake, “Buddy, I had to take your mom to your house, and I saw your room. You have a quite a collection of books and toys, I’m jealous. And your Captain America sheets are awesome!”

“Santa gave me those for Christmas.”

“Wow, Santa is kind of cool,” Chris told him, “He knows you’re a big fan, I guess.”

Lisa stood up from the chair she was sitting in and took a step toward Chris, “I think we should go and give them some time alone.” She then moved over to Aiden and put her hand on his, “I enjoyed talking to you and when you get out of here, I am going to have you come over to my house to you can swim and play with Ethan and Miles.”

Aiden’s eyes grew wide, and he turned to look at his mom, “Can I? That would be awesome.”

Harper smiled at her son, she had not seen that much excitement in his eyes in a while, “Well, if Mrs. Evans wants you to visit, we can arrange that.”

Lisa gave Aiden a hug then walked around to the other side of the bed. She motioned for Harper to stand and pulled her into a hug, “I’ll call and check on you tomorrow. Just because he’s awake doesn’t mean we won't’ be back,” she gave her a tight squeeze and then continued, “I can tell something happened between you and Chris, the room got cold when you two walked in. If you want to talk about it, give me a call. Just because he’s my son doesn’t mean I can’t be your friend.”

“Thank you,” Harper responded as she pulled away from the embrace, “I really can’t thank you enough for being here today. And I would love for you to visit whenever you want.”

Lisa exited the room, she figured Chris would want to say goodbye, and she was going to give him some privacy. He stepped over to the bed and shook Aiden’s hand, “I’m glad I got to see you again. Do me a favor, don’t give your mom any trouble, okay?” Aiden shook his head vigorously, “Alright, be good and get some rest.”

Chris started to walk away, and Harper met him at the end of the bed, “Thank you for being so sweet to him. He looks up to you, well to Cap, so I appreciate that.”

“Can I see your cellphone?”

She thought this was an odd request but handed him her phone. He punched in a few numbers, “He’s a good kid, and he’s been dealt a really shitty hand in life. I genuinely like him and want him to get better,” he said to her as he made eye contact with her while giving her phone back to her. “I’ve put my contact information into your phone; if you need me, you can call,” and with those words, he began walking towards the door.

She took a step to follow him, “Wait, Chris, does that mean you aren’t coming back to visit the two of us?” She tried to sound hopeful in her question.

He didn’t look back, and he didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped out of the room and began walking down the hallway. No words were spoken until he was in the car with his mom; she finally decided to ask, “I take it that things didn’t go well today? So, does this mean you are giving up?”

He let out a heavy sigh, “She’s mad at me, no, mad isn’t strong enough, she’s furious with me because I defended her honor against her former boss,” he turned to look at his mother. She could see the confusion in his eyes, and what appeared to be flecks of pain, “In my defending her, I told him about Aiden’s condition, something she had never done. Ma, her entire office had no idea that Aiden had cancer. Her boss fired her for leaving and didn't know she left because her son was dying! I was trying to help, and she has made it abundantly clear that she is not happy about it.”

“I’m sure she had her reasons for not telling anyone.”

“Yeah, she’s too damn independent and wants no help from anyone. She has some fucking wall up and won’t let anyone in.”

“Did she apologize to you for getting angry? And, did you apologize for revealing her secret, the one you didn’t know was a secret?”

He stared in disbelief at his mother for a moment, he couldn’t get over the questions she was asking. She was defending both of them at the same time, “She apologized for snapping at me. And, yes, I told her that I was sorry. But for the record, I told her that I would do it again.”

“Well of course you did and you would, that is who you are. I take it that you don’t believe her apology?”  
  
“No, I don’t believe her. She has a wall up, ma and I guess I can’t help a woman who doesn’t want to be helped,” he turned away from his mom to stare out the window, he then looked back at her, “I really do have that Prince Charming syndrome don’t I?”

Lisa Evans let out a hearty laugh, “Yes, you certainly do! Your heart is in the right place, but you can’t expect her to change overnight. You just need to continue to show her that you want to be there for her. I bet you haven’t even told her you like her, have you?”

“No, I started to. I was so close to saying it out loud earlier today, but I was pretty sure I would scare her off.”  
  
“She doesn’t know that she needs someone, Chris. You need to show her that she’s been looking for you all along.”

Now it was his turn to laugh, “You know, you should probably write an advice column if that theater director gig ever goes south.” He knew his mom was right, Harper didn’t know she needed someone because she has spent so much time trying to prove that she doesn’t He just had to decide if he was willing to keep working at it.  
 


	7. Chapter 7

Chris walked out of the room, and Harper was convinced it would be the last time she would see him. She had tried to apologize for what had happened earlier, but she figured it came off as insincere. Chris was right, she had up walls, and she wasn’t ready to knock them down. If she was honest with herself, she was touched that he defended her. It was sweet because he felt she deserved it not because she asked him to do it.

The problem was she was intensely private in the office. She had been the subject of gossip already and if people knew about Aiden, well then she would be pitied, and that was just as bad as being the subject of gossip. She didn’t know how to make him see that. Although she never gave any consideration to him having an understanding of what it was like to be the subject of gossip and rumor and that he just might be able to relate to her reasons for wanting to remain private.

It had been several days since Aiden had recovered from the coma. Harper had talked to the doctors, and they had expressed that they did not anticipate any long-term effects from his allergic reaction. The new treatments had been working, and his cancer was reacting positively, and he had been moved back to his old room. As promised, Lisa Evans had called to check on Aiden’s progress. Harper only wished Chris would have done the same. To be fair, she had his number and had never made a move to call him; it was hard to cast a stone when she was just as guilty.

Lisa offered to come and sit with Aiden, allowing Harper to have a break. She had been applying for jobs, sending out resumes with no luck. She was getting frustrated, and it was starting to show. Harper was ready to take an opportunity to meet with temporary agencies and take odd jobs, just to get money coming in. She took Lisa up on her offer and made arrangements to see her the next day.

She settled in on the couch, once again doing some online career searches when her phone rang, it was Max. She didn’t want to answer it, but she knew if she didn’t, he would just keep calling. “Hello, this is Harper,” trying to sound upbeat and positive, not wanting to let him know she was still over everything that had transpired.

He was caught off guard that she actually answered, “Um, hi, it’s Max, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but do you have a moment to chat?”

She bit her tongue, she wanted to be sarcastic or rude but knew that it was not the right thing to do, “No, Max, you’re not interrupting. I’ve got a minute or two, what can I do for you?” She tried to maintain a level of professionalism when every bone in her body wanted to rebel at the notion.

“I, well, you see,” he was fumbling over his words, not something that Max did on a regular basis, “I was hoping we could have a discussion about what happened the other day in the office. I want to talk about your situation, specifically and maybe clear a few things up because I don’t like the way things ended.”

Suddenly, it was as if a lightbulb went off; Max wanted to attempt to smooth things over to keep her from suing him for wrongful termination. “I don’t think it would be a good idea, Max. I think my attorney should just handle discussions going forward,” she had not hired an attorney, really had no intention of hiring one either. However, Max did not know that; she just prayed that her bluff would work.

“Look, Harper, I understand the hesitancy in meeting with me after what happened the other day. That coupled with the fact that your boyfriend and I did not get off on the right foot. Please, let me just buy you lunch and we can have a conversation. I just want an opportunity to talk to you; you can still have your attorney contact me, I’m not trying to avoid that.” He paused for a moment to see if that would elicit any response from her, it didn’t. “I’m willing to come downtown if it’ll be more convenient for you.”

She was ready to admit that Max seemed sincere; if she closed her eyes she could imagine him standing there, hat in hand, asking for this opportunity. She should correct him regarding the status of her relationship with Chris, but decided against it for the moment because it could work to her advantage. “Okay, I’ve got plans to be away from the hospital tomorrow anyway, I was going to swing by my apartment, so I’ll be in the neighborhood. If you want to meet for lunch, I can be available.”

“Fantastic! How about meeting me at Mangia Mangia at 11:30 am? I seem to recall that you liked eating there.”

“Yes, I do like eating there, so it is a good choice. I’ll see you then.”

“Great, thank you, Harper, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She had arranged for Lisa to be at the hospital at 9 am, so she would have plenty of time to visit and still get to Billerica in plenty of time to get ready for lunch. She hoped she would have enough nerve to ask about Chris; this was one time, however, that she hoped Lisa didn’t bring him with her. She didn’t want to have to explain to him why she was going to lunch with Max.

~*~  
Dinner time at the Evans compound was always interesting; dinner was prepared and fed to the kids first, and the adults would always gather later to eat. The kids could never wait for all of the adults to get home, their scheduled never did sync up, and there was no sense in making them wait. Carly would usually want to feed the kids and get their baths out of the way and get them to bed before the adults ever sat down. This also allowed the wine and conversation to flow without the fear of little ears being around to hear something they shouldn’t.

Tonight, the family was gathering and wanting to see how Chris was holding up. He had been quiet all week, and for the most part had kept to himself or had gone out with some of his friends. They were pretty sure it had something to do with his lady friend, but no one was brave enough to ask. His mom had even stayed away from the topic all week, but tonight, she was going to bring it up.

As everyone was quietly eating, Lisa kicked off the conversation, “I’m going downtown tomorrow; does anyone need anything?”

"Downtown? Why, downtown?" Carly inquired.

Lisa watched Chris; he was playing with his dinner. "I have a few errands to run, and I’m going to see Aiden. Harper says he is doing well, and I thought I go see for myself,” she noticed that Chris’ demeanor had not changed, and he had not even looked up.

"That’s great news,” Carly offered, realizing that Harper was the reason Chris was quiet, even if he didn’t admit it. She could tell that their mom was trying to get a rise out of him, so she figured she would help the cause, “So, are you going to get with him so she can have a break?”

"Yeah, I told her I wanted to see him and give her a break if she needed it. I know she’s been trying to set up interviews, not sure if she’s had any luck, though.”

“I’ve got a friend who just told me he is hiring, so if you can get her resume, I’ll pass it along,” Ryan offered, “It couldn’t hurt, you know.”

"Thanks, I’ll ask her for a copy tomorrow. I’m sure she’s probably starting to get antsy.”  
  
"Hey, Chris?" Carly snapped her fingers in front of his face, trying to get his attention, “You doing alright? You’re awfully quiet tonight.”

"Huh? Oh yeah, I am fine. I just have a few things on my mind."

"Have you talked to Harper lately?"

"No, and I don't expect to, either. We had a fight the other day, so this where you rub it in, Carly. Where you tell me how crazy I was to be interested and where you say, I told you so,” Chris threw his napkin on the table and got up and went outside.

"Okay, it is a sore subject evidently," Carly commented as she watched Chris out on the back patio.

"Well I think he really liked her, and they had a disagreement the other day, and both of them seem a little too stubborn to fix it. I think Harper isn't used to having someone, her husband has been gone six years, and she just hasn't had a man paying attention to her. I think she is scared to let down her walls, and I think Chris isn't used to someone pushing back."

"Sounds like she is a challenge for him and that is what he needs," Ryan commented, "I think he’s had it too easy in that department, and he doesn't know how to handle this."

~*~  
Harper looked at her watch, it was 9 am, and right on time, Lisa Evans walked into the room. She brought in coffee for Harper and a frozen concoction of some sort for Aiden; walking over the chair, she presented the coffee to Harper, “I thought you might like this better than what they serve around here.” She handed Aiden his drink and the grin on his face lit up the room, “And for my little buddy, I hope you like this! But don’t tell your doctor where you got it.”  
"Thank you, Ms. Lisa."

"So are you ready for me to beat you in a game of chutes and ladders? I’ve come ready to play!"

Aiden laughed, it was a sweet sound that filled the room. "Oh, I’m ready, but I’m gonna beat you, Ms. Lisa. I’ve got skills.”

Lisa laughed and patted his arm, she loved that the life and light were in his eyes. She turned to look at his mother, “How are you, Harper? Are you sleeping any better? You seem a little better rested than the last time I saw you.”  
  
"Thank you, yes, I am sleeping much better. I will sleep even better once he is out of here for good and I have a job. How is your family?” She was most interested in Chris but she was not going to ask, she didn’t want to be so obvious.  
  
"Everyone is doing well. As a matter of fact, my son-in-law, Ryan, has a friend who owns a business that is doing some hiring. I’ll be honest, I know nothing about the company, the position, or the pay, but if you want to give me a resume, Ryan said he will pass it along, and he can answer any questions you might have.”  
  
"That is awfully generous of him. When I come back this afternoon, I’ll bring a copy for you to take to him.” She began to pace around the room, “My former boss, Max, well he invited me to lunch today. I think he is afraid I am going to sue him, so he wants to try and smooth things over.”

“Are you? Going to sue him, I mean? I think you might have a relatively strong case for wrongful termination.”

“I would love to sue him, but I can’t afford an attorney, and I’m not even confident that I could win. My luck, there would be some loophole that I fall through that would prevent me from getting a settlement. Or, if I did win, the winnings would all go to the attorney. I’ll take my chances with unemployment and pray that it will help hold me over for a while. I’m even willing to get a temporary job or a job flipping burgers if I can’t find something very soon.”

"You let me know how I can help, I mean it."

"You are sitting with Aiden so he isn't alone, and that is wonderful and certainly helps. But, I do have a question that you can give me a hand with, and I am nervous to ask.”

Lisa wondered what it could be; she was thinking that Harper might be asking for financial help. Carly had said she felt that there was an ulterior motive, and maybe this was it. "Okay, just ask and we will take it from there."

"Ok, um, well you see, I haven't talked to Chris since the other day, and I think he’s still mad at me. I was just wondering how he’s doing, that’s all?”

“You mean since you two had your fight?”

“Oh, so, you know about that?” She hung her head, embarrassed now for even bringing it up.

“Harper, he didn’t give me all of the details but Chris, well, we are close. It was bothering him the entire drive home the other night. I asked him what was going on; he told me the two of you had a disagreement, and that was the extent of it.”

Harper solemnly nodded her head, she couldn’t look up when she responded, “We did, and I apologized but not right away. I don’t think he believed me, and I don’t know what I can say to fix it.”

“Honestly, you two need some space at the moment. The two of you are confused, you each have your own reasons for whatever happened and why. Give him another day or so, I’m sure he’ll come around.” Lisa hoped she was giving good advice; she wanted to set it right for the two of them but figured they needed to get there on their own.

~ * ~

Harper had thanked Lisa and then walked out to her car, leaving the parking garage and mulling over everything that had been said. She drove straight to the apartment so she could take a quick shower and get ready for her lunch with Max. While she no longer worked for him, she felt she needed to be dressed professionally. She checked herself in the mirror and left for lunch.

She walked into the restaurant right on time; it was a local favorite, not pretentious or fancy. While Harper was dressed professionally, she fit in with the regular lunch crowd. She quickly scanned the room and found Max, he was seated in a deep booth near the counter. Although it was in a busy spot within the restaurant, the booth provided some privacy since they could scoot in close to the wall.

As Harper approached, Max stood to greet her, extending his hand. He would have offered a hug, but knew that would most likely get him a slap in the face, “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me Harper, I appreciate it. Please have a seat.”

“Thank you for the invite, Max. Your invite came at an opportune time, I had someone already lined up to stay with Aiden while I ran a few errands.”

“Is he doing better?” Max was trying to be careful as he maneuvered through this. Harper nodded softly, and Max smiled back at her, “Good, I’m glad to hear that. Okay, well I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you here?”  
  
“Honestly, yes. I was more than a little surprised, but I’m going to assume you’re hoping to smooth things over in the hopes I won’t sue you,” she couldn’t help that her inner bitch was being to show.

Max was taken aback by her bold statement; but then again, he had always liked that she was direct with him. He just wondered where he went wrong, when did she suddenly think she couldn’t come to him and just talk? “Um, actually no, that isn’t why. Look you have every right to sue, you’d probably win, too. Those aren’t things I am supposed to say to you, matter of fact, I’m sure if my lawyer knew I was meeting with you, he would kill me.”

“So, are you saying you want me to sue you? I’m confused.”

“No, no, I really don’t want you to sue. However, I would like to attempt to smooth things over because I don’t like how this all ended, it’s eating at me.” He looked down as he absentmindedly spun his glass around, “I didn’t want to have this conversation at the office, too many prying eyes. I just wanted an opportunity for us to have a real, unfiltered conversation, that’s all.”

She was intrigued, raising an eyebrow she looked at him and questioned, “Fine, so what do you want to talk about?”

“You...tell me Harper...tell me about Aiden and what happened. You have worked for me for years, I knew you had a son. Why didn’t you tell me he was sick?”

“Does it matter? I mean in the grand scheme of things; would it have mattered?”

“Yes, because I would have helped you and I would have helped Aiden. You didn’t need to go through this alone...when did he get sick?”

“Several years ago, he went through treatment, and we thought we had it beat. He was in remission and went for checkups every six months; we were so close to getting the cancer free declaration,” she put her head down and dropped her eyes to the table. She began to fidget with the napkin and silverware, anything to keep her from looking up at Max, “The other shoe dropped about five months ago, he started feeling sick, and they ran tests. His numbers were all over the place, and we found out the cancer was back. But this time, well it’s more aggressive, and we’ve had to try alternative therapies and treatments.”

“And you would leave work at five to beat the traffic and get downtown to get to him and see how he had done each day?”

Harper kept her head down, she wasn’t ready to look up at him just yet, “Yeah, I was fearful every day that something would happen while I was at work; I wanted to get to him as quickly as possible. I went to HR three months ago, Aiden wasn’t responding to any of the treatments, and he was in bad shape, we didn’t think he would survive. I needed to know what my options were, I wanted to spend every possible moment with him. I was told I could use my vacation, which was two weeks, and after that, I had to use FMLA, which is unpaid leave,” she finally raised her head, looking into Max’s gray-green eyes, “Being without a paycheck wasn’t an option for me. Funny how that works out isn’t it?”

“Harper, you should have come to me, you should have told me what was going on,” Max’s words were sincere, or at least she thought he was trying to sound that way.

She scoffed at the notion, despite any sincerity, “And why is that Max? Sure, you own the company, but the HR department works on your guidelines, she told me what you would have said,” she watched as her words stung him, that wasn’t her real intention, but she wasn’t going to apologize for it, either. “What would you have done? Take pity on me? Make some special arrangement to pay me while I was out? You know that you would have had to extend that to every person in the company or face everyone saying you are giving me preferential treatment. We already know about that gossip.”

“No one would have known about any arrangement. You know that compensation is a private matter. If I had been paying you to be at the hospital with Aiden, no one in the company would have known other than you, me and HR.” Max took a sip out of the glass of water that he had been playing with earlier, “I’m just not sure why you didn’t trust me.”  
  
She had taken a deep breath before she answered him, it was going to be difficult to say these words, “Max, are really so oblivious to how your office works? I was not kidding; everyone in that office thinks we’re having an affair,” she watched as her words registered on his face, he might actually be paying attention. “I believe two things might have convinced them otherwise, you firing me and my storming out of the office the other day. Which reminds me, why did you let me come back to get my things? Heather always sends everyone’s belongings to them, you never want a fired employee back in the building. So why am I different?”

Max remained silent and just looked at her. She was fired up; she was passionate, not yelling, and her voice wasn’t raised, but passionate nonetheless, “Was it so bad? I mean everyone thinking we were having an affair?”

She stared at him, blinking several times as if she was trying to get her brain to register what he just said, “What? Are you kidding me? Please tell me that was a joke.”

“No, I'm serious, Harper. Am I such a horrible person that it was so bad to have people think we were involved with one another?”

Harper, who had been leaning up against the edge of the table, sat back, in disbelief, “Dear God, have you been drinking?”

“No, I’ve just had water,” Max said with a chuckle, he had to admit this comical.

“I’ve worked hard to be successful, put all I have into it and never relied on favors to get me anywhere professionally. I’m proud of that, Max. Proud of what I’ve accomplished and that my work stands for itself. I want to be recognized for that, respected for that. The last thing I want is for anyone to think I got my job or my position because I am or did have an affair with my boss. It negates talent and gives the impression I slept my way to every job I’ve ever had.”  
  
“I can respect that and completely understand where you are coming from. But aside from that, am I that bad?”  
  
“I’ll admit that I’m completely out of practice, but are you making a pass at me?”

“You’re talented, you’ve worked hard, and I acknowledge that; you’ve never been given a project, a raise, or a promotion based on anything other than your hard work and abilities. I’m sorry you were attached to me as a rumor, I’m sorry I wasn’t aware of it or even sensitive to how it would look if I spent time with you in the office.”

Max took a drink from his glass and watched Harper very carefully. He had wanted to say some of these things to her for some time, and he figured this was his only opportunity. He let the silence linger for a minute before he took a breath and continued.

“I’m not going to apologize for being attracted to you. I would spend time in your office or have you in my office because I liked you, I do like you,” he began fidgeting with the placemat, “I never made a pass at you or let you know I had feelings because I didn’t want to be accused of sexual harassment. I just never thought that working with you and spending time in each other’s offices would lead to people making assumptions about us.”

“For a business owner, you are a bit naive you know that, right?” Harper could not help but smile, “You aren’t kidding though are you? You had feelings for me?”

“Have feelings, they didn’t go away. You’re smart, have a wonderful sense of humor, you’re beautiful, and I like spending time with you. I’ll admit that I overreacted by firing you - I was so worked up about the investor meeting, things are going on you aren’t aware of. Because of my feelings for you, I value you more than just another employee. I really needed you that day, and my gut reaction was that you let me down. I didn’t realize it was the other way around,” Max hung his head, Harper could tell that he was struggling to get the words out. “I allowed you to come back for your things because I had every intention of asking you to come back.”

“I’m not sure what to say, I’m speechless. I had no idea you felt that way,” she had never expected Max to say something like that. Is that what he had really wanted this lunch to be about? She sat back up against the table, “If your intention was to give me my job back, why didn’t you?”  
  
“Honestly? My pride got in the way. When your boyfriend let me know he wasn’t happy that I fired you, I understood it, I did. But the look in his eyes told me he wanted to hit me, and with those arms, that punch would have hurt. So, knowing you had a man in your life, my pride was wounded, and I didn’t go through with my plan. I’m ashamed to admit it if that helps.”

Harper shook her head, she could not believe this, “Chris isn’t my boyfriend, far from it. He was visiting kids at the hospital, I met him because of Aiden, and we became friends. It’s a long story, but there is nothing romantic between us.”

“Oh,” Max could not hide a smile when he realized that she wasn’t dating the brute, “He defended you as if you two were involved. I guess I made an assumption.”  
  
“Why did you actually invite me to lunch? I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be rude, but my head is spinning, and I’m not quite sure what to make of everything you have thrown at me today.”  
  
“I invited you to lunch because I have a job prospect for you. A friend of mine owns a development firm, similar to mine and she’s in need of a Project Developer. I’ve told her all about you, and she wants to set up an interview. No guarantee she’ll hire you, but I think there’s a better chance than not that the job will be yours,” Max sat back in his seat, not letting his eyes break contact with Harper’s. “I wanted to tell you about it, help get it set up, and I didn’t want to do it over the phone. If you don’t get this offer, frankly, I’ll be shocked. But just in case, I have another opportunity lined up.”  
  
“Why? I mean, this is very generous of you, and I appreciate it. But, why are you doing it?”

“That’s not your real question. Your real question is why am I just not hiring you back since I know that the guy isn’t your boyfriend,” he watched her face for any sort of reaction, something that would give away that he was wrong. “I told you, I’m attracted to you, I’d like to act on that and if you work for me, well, that’s out of the question. Several of my friends know what transpired and that I regret it; they have open positions, you would be a good fit, so I’m helping them and you at the same time. And yes, they know about Aiden and that they would need to be flexible with time. They’re willing to do for you what I didn’t,” Max was embarrassed admitting that to her.

“Thank you, I know that could not have been easy. However, I do appreciate what you’ve said.”

Max chuckled, “No, it wasn’t easy, but you deserved the truth.”

The two finally ordered lunch but Harper mainly picked at her food, she didn’t have much of an appetite. She was still in a tailspin over everything Max had admitted. She tried playing it off and acting as if it was nothing, but his admission of feelings for her and the regrets over her firing were significant. The biggest thing for her, though, was the fact that he had secured two job leads for her; this couldn’t be real, those things only happen in sappy Hallmark movies.

During the remainder of lunch, they tried to engage in small talk, anything that was not work related. Max inquired about Aiden and asked about Harper’s life before moving to Boston. She had to admit, once the awkwardness was out of the way, she had a pleasant time talking to him. She wouldn’t mind getting to know him a little more, but if she were honest with herself, she couldn’t get Chris out of her head, either. She wondered if he would have been on her mind if Max had not brought up the fact that he thought she was dating Chris.

As they finished their meal, Max paid for lunch and then escorted her out to her car. He was nervous, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring down at the ground, “Um, could I see you again? I’d love to take you out to dinner, maybe go to a movie; nothing fancy, it can be casual. I’d just like to see you outside of a work environment, you know when I don’t have to apologize to you for doing something stupid.”

She could not suppress a smile, even letting out a faint laugh, “That would be nice, I think I’d like that.”

“Would tomorrow evening work? I mean, I have a business meeting in downtown tomorrow afternoon. We could grab dinner near the hospital, you wouldn’t have to be away for long.”

He was considerate, she definitely took notice, “Okay, would 7 work? I know that is probably later than you were looking for, but Aiden is usually asleep by 6:30 thanks to his medication knocking him out.”

“That would work out just fine. I’ll give you a call tomorrow to finalize our plans,” Max turned and began to walk toward his car, then looked over his shoulder at her, “Have a great afternoon, I’ll let my friends know to call you about the interview.”

“Thank you, Max, have a great afternoon as well,” she got into her car and watched as Max slid behind the wheel of his vehicle and drove off. She knew that she should have been firm, stood her ground, but she actually felt sorry for him. What sort of twisted crap was that?

She drove the short distance back to her apartment so she could change back into comfortable clothes. She sat on the edge of her bed and pulled up Chris’ contact information, her thumb hovered over the call button. She couldn’t bring herself to do it, she wanted to talk to him, but Lisa’s words kept echoing in her mind, she needed to give him space to see if it would help. She tossed her phone down in mild disgust then packed a small bag for her date with Max before heading back to the hospital.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Lisa and Aiden had spent the day playing chutes and ladders and Uno. She knew that Aiden had to be tired and suggested they stop playing, but he insisted he was fine. She got up to get a drink of water, but when she returned, Aiden was fast asleep. She pulled the covers up on him and tucked him in, then took a seat on the couch and began to leaf through a magazine when she was startled by the ringing of her cellphone.

“Hello,” she whispered as she stood and quickly moved from the room toward the lounge down the hall.

“Mom, why are you whispering?”

“I’m at the hospital, Aiden just fell asleep, and I don’t want to wake him.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize you were still there. How’s he doing?”

“Yeah, I’m still here, Harper isn’t back yet, she didn’t leave until 10:30. She had a lunch appointment, she’ll probably be back soon, though.”

He let out a sigh, “I didn’t ask about her Ma, I asked about Aiden.”

Lisa smiled, while he might try and deny it, she knew Chris wanted to know about Harper but wouldn’t ask. “Aiden is doing pretty good; I think I wore him out playing games today. He is getting his color back and getting his strength, Harper said he is responding to treatment.”

“That’s great, any word on when he might get out of the hospital?”

“Harper thinks they may let him go home next week. That’s great news, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, that is great news,” Chris’s voice dropped, he figured if he didn’t make up with Harper in the next few days, he might never see her again. “Hey, I’m going out with Josh and the guys, so there’s a chance I won’t be home tonight. I just thought I’d tell you so you wouldn’t worry.”  
  
“Christopher, you’re thirty-three years old, I’m sure you can take care of yourself. Are you sure that’s all you wanted?”

“Um, yeah, that’s all. Be careful on your way home from downtown, Ma. I’ll talk to you later.”

As Lisa hung up the phone she had to laugh, she knew that Chris wanted to know about Harper and his call was nothing more than a way to get information. He had been torn up about their argument since it happened, but he wasn’t going to cave, at least not yet. She walked back to Aiden’s room and took her place on the couch, waiting for Harper to return.

When Harper walked into the room forty minutes later, Lisa and Aiden were both sound asleep. She was carrying bags of food and didn’t want to wake them, she quietly sat them on the table in the corner of the room. Electing not to unpack them for fear that the rustling of the bags and containers would make too much noise. She sat down her purse and keys in the chair and tiptoed back out of the room, careful not to wake anyone.

She approached the nurse’s station, catching Claudia while she was updating charts, “Hey there, how has Aiden been today? They are both asleep in there right now, so I guess game day wore them out.”

“Oh goodness, the two of them have been in there laughing all day!” Claudia responded with a wide grin, “When I would go in to check his vitals he was having a ball. I put his last medicine bag up about an hour ago, and he dozed off right after that went up. I think he will sleep until dinner.”

“And I take it he wore poor Lisa out?”

“Oh, she loved it, too. She left the room for a phone call and then went back in, I didn’t realize she was asleep. Must have happened right after she went back in. I saw the bags, you brought him chicken soup, didn’t you?”

“Of course, you know I can’t resist, it’s his favorite!” Harper started to laugh softly, “I can’t help but spoil him while I can. Have a good night, Claudia.” Harper turned and walked back toward Aiden’s room and slowly opened the door, as she did, she noticed that Lisa was awake. She walked over and sat next to her on the couch, “I hope I didn’t wake you? I’m so sorry if I did.”

“Oh, no, you didn’t. I honestly didn’t intend to doze off. When did you get back?”  
  
“Oh, I got back about ten minutes ago. Just long enough to sit the bags down and walk out to talk to Claudia,” she said while gesturing to the door. “I brought some food, I know it’s a little early for dinner and late for lunch, but thought you might be hungry. I figured it was the least I could do for you sitting with Aiden.”

“You didn’t have to do that, but it was sweet,” Lisa stood from the couch and made her way over to the table to see what Harper had brought back. She was hungry now that Harper mentioned it, “So, how was your lunch with Max?”

“Well, he told me that he regretted firing me. He said he was sorry for making a hasty decision, and he had considered giving me my job back,” Harper stopped for a moment to think about how she was going to phrase this next part for Lisa. “The funny thing was, he changed his mind, he said, when my boyfriend confronted him. He said he was scared of him and changed his mind about hiring me back.”

“Your boyfriend?” Lisa turned and gave her a questioning look.

“Yeah, that’s the funny part, Lisa. He thought Chris was my boyfriend,” Harper couldn’t contain her laughter any longer.

“Wow, he figured you were dating my son? What in the world made him think that?” Lisa had to admit she was amused by this concept.

“He said that Chris defended me like we were dating, so he assumed he was my boyfriend. Since he saw Chris’ arms and was intimated by him, he wasn’t going to hire me back, well that and,” Harper took a deep breath before continuing, “He told me that he has been attracted to me all along. He didn’t want to offer me my job back now that he knows Chris isn’t my boyfriend because he would like to date me instead and it wouldn’t be professional if I worked for him.”

Lisa almost choked, this was not what she had expected to hear. She was going to need to let Chris know right away, her theory on the two of them having space would need to be revisited. “So, he wants to date you? I’ll admit that I didn’t see that coming.”

“I didn’t either, it really came out of left field,” Harper had her head down, unable to look up at Lisa, “He did tell me, though, that he has two friends with job openings. So, he’s trying to help me find a job, hoping to make up for firing me I guess. I did bring a copy of my resume for Ryan, though, I’m exploring all options.”  
  
“So, are you going to go out with him? With Max, I mean,” Lisa was very curious and a little concerned as to what this might mean for Chris.

“Well, I at least agreed to have dinner with him tomorrow night, after Aiden goes to sleep. He’s going to be in downtown for a meeting.”

“So just like that, all is forgiven? The other day you were really upset and angry, hurt even that you were treated the way you were. Now you have lunch with him and agree to go on a dinner date. Guess you had feelings for him too?”

There were sarcasm and notes of rancor in Lisa’s voice, Harper detected it and was caught off-guard. She couldn’t deny that there was some validity in her statement, but still, it was hard to hear in that tone, “That’s not entirely fair. I wouldn’t say I’ve forgiven him, I’m still angry that he put me in this position. I’ve got no paycheck right now, my insurance for Aiden is in jeopardy, so forgiveness isn’t coming so easy. But he said he has regrets, and he is trying to make up for them. He wants to help me find a job, I feel like I need to give the guy a chance.”  
  
“In other words, you’re using him?” Lisa immediately regretted saying that, she noticed the words hit Harper with force, “I’m sorry, I should not have said that, it was out of line,” Lisa stood and quickly gathered her things, “I need to go, again, I’m sorry, Harper.”

Harper stood in stunned silence. While she was taken aback by Lisa’s statement, she had to wonder if there was some truth in her words. It was not her intention to use Max, but was it the unintended consequence?  
  
Lisa’s words rattled in her head all night, making it difficult to sleep. She kept thinking back to her thoughts of Max over the years. She had found him smart, attractive, he had a smile that could make a girl melt. She had always found him to be generous and kind, their working relationship was perfect. If she was honest with herself, there were times when she would have been thrilled to go out with him. However, her thoughts always went back to the rumors and how they would not be able to keep a relationship between them quiet, at least not in that office

She was still angry, she hated that he fired her, and she felt he overreacted. But how could he not? He didn’t know what she had going on, he had no clue that she was dealing with something so serious. But he never asked her about her personal life, he never asked about Aiden even though his pictures were all over her office. You can’t get mad at him for not knowing, right?

She had every intention of going to that lunch meeting, standing her ground and not letting him get to her. Instead, she melted, gave in, rolled over like a puppy waiting for their belly to be rubbed. How she had given in so quickly and ended up coming away with a date, she had no answer for. What about Chris? She hated that she had upset him, and she wanted to fix things with him. She had feelings for him, or at least she thought she did. She was confused, that was the bottom line.

She wasn’t going to get any sleep, she got off the couch, checked the time on her phone, it was 2:30 am. Since her brain wouldn’t shut off, she decided to take a walk. She pulled on a sweater and eased out of the room into the hallway. The hospital was quiet, all you could hear were the beeps and hums of the machines in each room as she walked past. With each step, she tried to reconcile how she got into this mess and how she was going to get out of it.

~*~  
Chris had decided to go to the gym, he wasn’t required to work out when he was on break, but it was easier to get back on his training regimen if he kept up a regular routine. Plus, it was a was a great way to relieve stress, and he always felt better after he finished. He had just finished his weights and was cooling down with a run on the treadmill when his cellphone began to vibrate in his pocket. He had hit a good stride, he wasn’t about to stop and take a call, no whoever it was could wait. The vibrating stopped only to begin again immediately. Evidently, the caller was persistent. Or, it was important. He slowed down, jumped to the outside of the treadmill and turned the machine off. He wiped the sweat from his face and hands, pulled his phone out of his pocket and noticed the missed calls were from Harper.

It had been several days since their fight, while he had been tempted on more than one occasion to call her, he decided that she needed to come to him. She needed to show interest. Evidently, she was ready. He dialed her number and hit send.

The phone had barely finished the first ring when she picked up and answered with a breathy, “Hello.”

“Sorry I missed your call, Harper, I’m at the gym and couldn’t answer right away.”   
“  
Oh, that’s okay, look if it’s not a good time, I can just talk to you later. I mean, it’s not an emergency or anything.”

“No, you’re fine, I’m getting my stuff and heading to the car. What’s on your mind?”

“Well, I,” Harper was having a hard time finding the words, “The thing is, I want to tell you that I am sorry, profoundly and sincerely sorry for the way I acted the other day. You were nice, and I was, um, irrational...yeah that’s the word that fits.”

Chris had to chuckle, she was actually struggling with the idea of apologizing, and she was tripping over her words, “Irrational is a good way to put it.”

“You aren’t going to let me off so easy, are you?”

“Nope! Tell me more, I need you to explain this.”

Harper took a deep breath, “I can’t explain why I never told anyone. Well, yes I can, I didn’t want people to pity me. Anyway, I just didn’t let people into my private life, and I let you in and then you told Max.” Harper just put it all out there for him, “I got angry that you told him and I shouldn’t have. You were honorable; I should have said thanks instead of being angry.”

“I get it, I do. Look, I’m sorry I betrayed your confidence. I didn’t mean to upset you, but you have to know, I did control myself, though, because I really wanted to punch him. That would have made it worse, right?”

Harper started to laugh, “Oh my goodness, yes! That would have made it so much worse, so thank you for not punching him!” She let the smile cross her lips, she missed him, the sound of his voice reinforced how much. “You know Aiden had a great time with your mom the other day, I think they wore each other out, though.”

“She told me she was enjoying herself when I talked to her. She also said he might be coming home soon, is that right?”

“Hopefully, I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will be next week. If so, you’ll have to stop by and say hello. I’m sure Aiden would love to see you again.”

“How about his mom?”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing you, either,” she admitted.

“Well, then I guess I’ll have to find the time to stop by. Thanks for calling, Harper. I’m glad we were able to clear the air,” Chris was sincere, he was glad she had called, and they could put this behind them.

“I am too, Chris. I hated having this between us.”

~*~  
Chris returned home from the gym in a great mood, it lasted throughout the day. He was in the family room, playing on the floor with Miles when his mom came into the house. She stopped in the doorway, watching her son and grandson play with matchbox cars. They were completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched. Finally, Miles noticed her standing there and took off to give grandma a hug.

Chris sat up, turning his attention to the doorway, “Hey, Ma, how long you been standing there? I didn’t hear you come in?”

“Yeah, I know, you two were pretty intense with the cars. You need kids, Chris!” She started laughing, but she was serious, he would make a great dad one day.

“Don’t start, Ma,” he groaned and rolled his eyes, he had heard that comment from her more than once. “So, how was your day?”

“Mine was okay, but your day must have been better. You’re in a great mood, what happened?”

Chris stood up from the family room floor and began walking toward his mother, “Well, Harper called and apologized, this time, I could tell she meant it. Officially we have cleared the air, I am thankful that is all behind us.”

Chris noticed the expression change on his mother’s face, "Be careful with her Chris, a few days ago the two of you were angry with one another, and it was hard for the two of you to clear the air. Maybe that was a sign, just watch yourself going forward.”

“What are you talking about, a sign? I’m confused.”

“I’m just saying that you two are very different people. You said yourself, you weren’t sure if she had the same feelings for you that you have for her. I’m just telling you to watch yourself and be guarded, that’s all.”

"What happened at the hospital when she came back yesterday? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing happened.”

“I don’t believe you, Ma. You liked Harper and seemed eager to have something happen between the two of us. Now, you’re warning me like she’s evil and you want me to stay away. Why have you changed your mind?”

Lisa took a deep breath, she hated the idea of lying to her son, but right now, she had no choice. “Nothing happened, Chris. It’s my job as your mom to worry about you, I just don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all. This was a big deal between the two of you, just don’t want to see something like that get in the way again.” She turned and headed down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Chris watched her walk away, he was confused and convinced she was holding something back. He just had no idea what it could be.

~ * ~  
Aiden and Harper spent the day reading books and making plans for when he was released from the hospital. Just a few days more and they could put this behind them and concentrate on the next stage of recovery. Before she knew it, dinner was being brought in, and she had to get ready. While Aiden was eating, Harper stepped into the bathroom to change her clothes, put on her makeup, and fix her hair. She dressed in a black and white horizontal striped dress paired with a canary yellow cardigan, she loved the contrast of colors, even if it meant she looked like a bee.

As she stepped back into the room, Aiden looked up and commented, "Wow, mommy you look pretty."

"Thank you, sweetheart. I’m going to dinner with a friend tonight, but don’t worry, I won't be leaving until you go to sleep, and I promise I’ll be here when you wake up.”

"Are you going to dinner with Chris?"

"No, not tonight, I’m going to dinner with Max, a guy from the office," She had not told Aiden that she had lost her job, right now wasn’t the time for that announcement, either. “How about if I read you one more story before bedtime, deal?”

"Deal," Aiden said as he snuggled down in the bed preparing for the story. Harper read three pages and he was sound asleep, she put the book down, kissed his head and quietly left the room. She waited until she was in the hall to put on her shoes, not wanting the clicking of her heels to wake him as she left the room.

She hailed a cab for the ride to Beacon Hill for dinner. Max had made reservations for a French restaurant called No. 9 Park. She had heard wonderful things about this restaurant, never thinking she would get an opportunity to eat here. Max was waiting at the door, he took care of the cab fare and walked her into the restaurant.

They were seated at a table on the outside edge of the dining room. It was amazingly intimate for such a busy dining room. A waiter appeared immediately for their drink order; Max took control, ordering a white wine she had never heard of. Harper wasn't much of a wine drinker but didn't have the heart to tell him.

They made small talk, discussing everything except work or Max’s office. He opened up about his kids and spoke politely about his ex-wife. She talked about David, recounting how they met and of course, the conversation turned to Aiden.

Partly through dinner, her mind began to wonder back to her first dinner 'date' with Chris at the bistro by the hospital. It was not as fancy as this restaurant, but she had to admit that she liked it, and the company a lot better. When dinner was over, Max drove her back to the hospital, he was not going to come in, but he at least walked her to the after-hours security entrance.

"Thank you, Max. Dinner was lovely, and I had an enjoyable evening,” she was telling the truth, she did enjoy it, but there were no sparks for her, not like what she felt for Chris. She had a feeling that Max had stronger feelings for her than she would ever have for him.   
"Thank you for joining me, I would like to do this again if you’re up to it."

"I’d like that," she said with a smile. She did not intend to fall in love with Max but what could it hurt to put herself out there and feel like a woman again? Did that mean she was leading him on and using him after all? She could not get Lisa’s words out of her head.

"Great, I'll call you," he stepped forward gently kissing her on the cheek, "Have a good night, I’ll talk to you soon." He stepped away, walking back to his car and driving off into the evening.

~*~  
Harper kissed Aiden and left the hospital a little before 7 am, she was driving home to prepare for a job interview. This was one of the meetings that Max had helped set up. She was a nervous wreck, during the drive, she practiced what she would say in response to the most common questions. She hoped she could pull herself together before this interview started, if not, she would go down in flames.

She wanted to make an impactful and positive first impression, but she was not feeling confident enough to wear a bold power color for the interview. Instead, she went ultra conservative, wearing gray and ivory, with no pops or color at all. Although, she did feel good dressing up versus spending yet another day in jeans and a sweatshirt. She drove to the office building and pulled into the parking lot more than fifteen minutes early for her appointment. In her mind, this meant she was on time. She always lived by the rule that you show up early in case they need you to fill out paperwork or complete testing, showing up on time, meant you were late.

Harper was met in the lobby by Harrison Pruitt, one-half of the managing team at Pruitt & Massey. He was a tall, balding man who appeared to be in his mid-sixties. He had a firm handshake and a confident walk. She could tell that he would be a force to reckon with during negotiations. He walked her down a long hall to a large conference room where she was introduced to Belinda Massey, the other half of the managing team. Belinda and Max were good friends, this immediately put Harper on guard. Belinda was a tall woman, even without her four-inch high heel shoes. She was an attractive woman, with long chestnut colored hair, and Harper could not help but let her mind wonder as to the details of the ‘friendship’ between Belinda and Max. She had to quickly tell herself to quit worrying about it, surely this wasn’t jealousy she was feeling, right?

Belinda carried most of the interview, asking about Harper’s experience with Max and his company. Every question was centered on her work history and the knowledge she had of real estate laws governing residential project development. She was confident in her skill set; while residential work had not been her role at Kinkaid Development she could quickly adapt to this role and would be able to excel.

Pruitt & Massey excused themselves, leaving Harper alone in the conference room. She glanced at the clock and realized she had been there for almost two hours. Moments later, the door opened, and they returned with a third person, their HR Director. It was an easy decision for them, they liked her, wanting her to be a part of their team as soon as possible. She was offered a position that would be a step up from the one she held at Kinkaid Development, the salary was a step up as well. They understood her situation with Aiden, allowing her to work remotely in the beginning. This flexibility was possible due to the amount of reading she would have to do to familiarize herself with regulatory documents. They had some projects that would come her way, she needed to be familiar with the rules.

Harper completed her new hire paperwork, leaving the office with binders of regulatory documents. She had been there for several hours and was drained from the stress and excitement, but thrilled that she was able to secure a job and get health benefits for Aiden once again.

She stopped by the apartment to change her clothes before heading back to the hospital. It was mid-afternoon by the time she got back, the nurses letting her know that Aiden had just completed his final treatment. This meant he would be weak, have a hard time keeping any food down, and would want to sleep most of the night. The nurses would pump him full of anti-nausea medication and keep him on fluids and glucose, no solid food for the remainder of the evening or the morning.

She walked into the room, taking notice that Aiden was asleep and peaceful. Harper settled into the chair next to the bed and began rifling through the new hire documentation. She wanted to read up on her benefits, find out what to expect. She was finishing up when she noticed Aiden beginning to stir. She decided to get on the bed and snuggle with him, wanting him to feel safe and secure, in reality, it was helping her more than him. She loved spending this time with him, even if he wasn’t awake to realize it or enjoy it. The room was quiet; she was comfortable enough that she dozed off.

Harper woke to what sounded like the rustling of plastic. She opened her eyes, rolled over slightly, finding Max placing bags on the table along with a vase of flowers, "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you, I just wanted to leave this for you.”

"It’s okay, no need to rush off. What are you doing here?”

"Well, I thought I’d surprise you. I talked to Belinda, she told me you accepted a position, so I wanted to congratulate you. I brought some Chinese food, a bottle of wine, and some flowers. I thought maybe Aiden could eat with us, of course, he couldn’t enjoy the wine,” he laughed nervously.

Harper gingerly got off the bed, trying to keep from waking her little boy, “He can’t have solid food right now and he is totally knocked out from today’s treatment. I tell you what, there’s a lounge down the hall, we can go down there and eat, that way we don’t wake him.”

Max moved to help Harper pick up the bags of food, leaving the flowers, and followed her down the hall, “I hope you don't mind that I did this, I was taking a gamble."

"No, I don't mind, it was a sweet gesture. I owe you a thank you, for helping me get the interview at Pruitt & Massey. This is going to be a tough job; I hope I don’t disappoint them. I’d also hate to ruin your friendship with them if they end up regret hiring me.”

"Harper, you got the interview on your own merit, all I did was to help coordinate the meeting time. You do realize that you never give yourself enough credit, right? You underestimate your strength and ability, you are going to do a fantastic job,” Max took a sip of the wine that he had opened, “When do you start?”

"Actually, I’ve already begun. I had completed all of the new hire paperwork before I left today. I have several binders of new regulations that I need to start reviewing and taking notes on.”

"Ah, yes, the new Section 8 rules! Belinda told me she had a contract to build two new developments that would eventually be Section 8. I think you get to see if there are any significant hurdles they need to worry about. You’ll get so familiar with the regulations, I bet you get to run the projects.”

"I’ll start on the binders tomorrow, I just didn’t get a chance to start them today,” she took a sip of her wine, giving herself a minute to compose herself as well. “I don’t anticipate running the project, but I do want to contribute to their success.”

As they ate, they chatted about work related projects. Max was glad she received the job offer, his feelings of guilt over firing her were starting to subside. He thought he would turn the subject back to Aiden, steer her into territory where she was more comfortable, “So, any news on when you can take Aiden home?”

"Provided there are no setbacks from his final treatment today. Hopefully, we can go home in a few days. I’ll have to work out getting someone to sit with him at home while I work, he won’t be able to go to school for a few weeks because of germs and the fear of getting sick. I might see if I can get a nurse that might need hours on the side or something, just someone to more or less babysit him.”

"I'll ask around and see if I know anyone who might have a resource you can use. I’ll let you know if I find anyone."

"Thanks, Max, I appreciate it, but you really don’t have to do that or anything. I mean, it isn’t that I don’t like you, but wow, I am not very articulate at the moment."

"Here, I’ll make it easy for you. I know I don’t have to do anything, but I want to. I was honest with you at lunch the other day, I have feelings for you, have for some time. I don’t want this to be a one-time deal, I’d like to see you again and regularly,” Max took a deep breath; he was as nervous as she was but he was better at containing it. “I realize the need for caution with Aiden; due to his illness and the idea of having a man around. I have kids, I want to be careful with them meeting my lady friends. Sorry, that sounded odd and pretentious."

"No, you’re right, we aren’t sure what ‘this’ is right now, there’s no need to bring our kids into it until we know for sure. I want, to be honest with you, Max, I don't know what I want. I’ve been alone with Aiden for years, dating or being in a relationship has never been a priority for me. I’m not sure I know how to do it.”

“I’ve been divorced for five years, I know that’s different than losing a spouse, but I haven’t been dating much either. I think we can try to figure this out together.”

When they finished dinner, they cleaned up their mess and started to leave the lounge. Max turned to Harper, taking her hands in his, looking into her eyes, he spoke softly, “I’m not going to pressure you, but please promise me that you’ll at least give me, give this, a chance.”

Harper nodded, she could at least agree to that. Max leaned in for a soft, sweet kiss. It never turned passionate, and Harper thought to herself that it lacked fireworks. She couldn’t help but compare it to the kiss you received from Chris, and the way he made her feel. But nonetheless, she made a promise to give this a chance, she would at least do that.   
 


	9. Chapter 9

Several days had passed since Lisa had visited Aiden, she had not talked to Harper since. She had also never come clean with Chris about what had taken place. She knew that she should tell him, give him a warning about Harper’s involvement with Max and his pronouncement of feelings for her. She just didn’t know how to break the news to him.

She was in her office, working on theater plans, production schedules, and holiday events, when Carly joined her, offering to help. They were deep into the discussion when Carly decided to do a complete 180 and change the subject, “So, Ma, have you been to the hospital to see Harper and her little boy lately? Do you know how they are, or when he is going to be released?”

“No, I went a few days ago but haven’t talked to her recently. The last I heard, she was hoping he would be released in the next week.”

“What about Chris? Is he still seeing her?”

“I don’t know, I’m not sure if he’s talked to her or not.”

“What happened? You liked her, Chris was head over heels, and now everything is cooled off, what did I miss?”

“I think they had a disagreement, but I’m not sure what his feelings are now. I’ve got no idea if he’s talked to her or not,” Lisa answered, trying to seem not interested, even though she was dying to know what was going on.

“I see you two still enjoy talking about my love life,” Chris commented as he walked into the room, taking a seat in the chair opposite his mom and sister.

“Of course, little brother, it is so much fun! So, give us the scoop, what’s going on which Harper? When was the last time you talked to her?” Carly began to pry, like any good big sister would.

“A few days ago, like Ma said, we had a disagreement, but we cleared the air. I’m actually thinking of going down to visit the pediatric ward today and ending the day with a visit with her and Aiden. I’m just not sure if I’ll see her after he gets out of the hospital.”

“Why? You two exchanged numbers, you live in the same city, it isn’t like she was here from some other state. Good grief you are so dramatic.”

“Well, Carly, I gave her my number, told her to call me, she hasn’t.”

“She called you to clear the air, right? Isn’t that calling you?”

“I meant she hasn’t called because she wants to see me or anything. She called to apologize, that’s all. I’m coming around to the idea that she might not like me in the same manner that I liked her, I’m not going to force the subject.”

“Did you ever think that maybe she is a little intimidated by you? I know you two have spent a short time together but you’re an actor, that’s a lot to take on. And by the way, have you ever told her that you really like her?”

Chris gave his sister a strange look, “Uh no, I haven’t told her; I’d think it’s evident.”

“Ok, I know this is odd coming from me since I argued against you being involved with her in the first place. However, you have a woman who is stressed because her child is very sick. Add to that, the fact that she lost her job, and oh yeah, she’s been a widow and not dated for years. Hello, are you stupid? Did you think that maybe it isn’t so clear to her since her mind is cloudy?”

Chris and Lisa looked at one another, stunned at the revelation that Carly might be on the right track. Neither of them said anything; they didn’t really know how to react. Carly didn’t let up, “You know Chris I have always thought you were a smart, deep thinking man, but you have just shown what a meatball you can be!”

~*~  
Aiden was sitting up on the bed playing a video game with the sound off because Harper was working and couldn’t concentrate with the game noise. Of course, it was no better dealing with Aiden’s commentary. She had been studying the first of the binders detailing the real estate regulations. Her eyes were growing tired, her head was beginning to throb, she wasn’t sure she could keep going. Who knew that reading all day could wear a person out just as much as doing physical activity? She had pages of notes prepared and felt as though she, at least, had a grasp on these documents.

There was a loud knock on the door before she could react, Aiden had already yelled, “Come in!”

Harper looked up just in time to see the door open and Chris walk in. Immediately she had butterflies in her stomach, and she worried about how she looked. She tried to remain calm and figured he was there for Aiden, not to see her.

“Hey, Chris!” Aiden bellowed when he saw him walk in the room, “Want to play my game with me?”

“Hey buddy, it’s great to see you! What game?”

“Lego Indiana Jones, mom won’t play with me because she can’t get past the first level. She is awful at these games.”

Chris looked over at Harper and flashed a smile, “Hi Harper, how are you?”

“Hi Chris, I’m good,” she felt as if her cheeks were on fire.

Before Chris could finish sitting down on the edge of the bed, Aiden was handing him a game controller, “Ok, I started over, you can play this first player, I’ll play next.”

After a few moments, it was evident that Chris had lost all of his lives, it was Aiden’s turn. “You’re as bad as mom at this game.”

“Ouch, that hurts! So you aren’t a gamer, Harper?”

Harper had been trying to act like she wasn’t watching or paying attention to their interaction. She didn’t want Chris to know she was looking at him; the way his hands moved on the controller, his facial expressions as he was trying to move the character along, or the way he had his tongue sticking out. She was going to have to leave the room if he kept it up.

“Sorry, did you say something?” Man, she hoped that sounded convincing.

“You don’t like to play games? Video games I mean?”

“I’m not very good at them, he beats me every time! I get frustrated too easily, I hate it when I can’t win or beat the levels.”

“Mom, you and Chris should play with each other, that way one of you can win!”

Chris and Harper exchanged glances, Aiden apparently didn’t understand that his innocent comment could be taken another way. They both began to smile; Chris was confident it looked like Harper was blushing.

“It’s okay Aiden, you and Chris play your game, mommy will just watch.”

The boys played for a little longer, then it was evident that Aiden was worn out. Chris recognized it, suggesting they take a break for a bit, “I know you don’t want to, but I think you need to rest a little. You need to build up your strength so you can beat me again!”

Aiden laughed and swore he felt fine, then immediately fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Chris walked over and sat on the couch next to Harper. “Well, it is good to see he has some energy, and that he still has his sense of humor. He’s an amazing kid.”

“I know he loves it that you stopped by. He had a new nurse the other night, all he wanted to do was talk about how cool it was that he knows Chris Evans.”

Chris put his arm across his chest, threw his head back and laughed; it was a beautiful sight. He had a wonderful laugh, a beautiful smile, was perfect in every way. Harper could just watch him all night long; it was taking every ounce of her not to reach out and touch him.

“I connected with him the first time I met him; he’s a special kid.” Chris put his hand on Harper’s leg, “So, when does he go home?”

“Day after tomorrow. His treatments are done, the doctors are confident that they have put him in remission. They want to give him a few months and check to see his progress. If he’s in remission for six months, they’ll be more optimistic to say he’s cancer free.”

“Can he go to school and do normal kid things when he’s released?”

“No, not right away. I won’t put him in school until after the first of the year; we have to be careful about germs and what he is around right after her gets out to be safe. Wouldn’t make sense to send him for a few weeks and then go on winter break.”

“How are you holding up?”

“I’m better, less stressed now that I know he is going home. Plus, I am less stressed because I got a job!”

Chris was watching Harper as she relayed her news. Her eyes were twinkling as she said the words, ‘I got a job,’ and a smile came across her face that could light up any room. She was excited, and in turn, he was excited for her. The stress of losing her job along with the stress of Aiden’s illness had taken a toll on her, now she could turn the corner and begin to move forward.

“This is fantastic news, where will you be working? And when do you start?”

“I’m going to work Pruitt & Massey, they’re a real estate developer, but they mainly do residential complexes and small shopping centers. As far as when do I start? Well, I technically started yesterday, when I filled out all of my paperwork. I actually started working and taking notes today, though. I’m going to help project manage their residential jobs, but right now I’m reading legal documents and regulations to get familiar with them. They know about Aiden and are working with me on arrangements.”

“I am happy to hear they are going to work with you, that is extremely encouraging. So, how will it work when Aiden is released? Are you going to be able to work from home until he goes back to school?”

“Actually, I’m not sure. I’m looking into options for home care since Aiden can’t go to daycare or be around other kids. I’m sure they’ll let me stay home with him for a little while, but I don't know how far I can push it with this job.”

“Did you know, I’m good friends with Aiden’s nurse Becky? I could talk to her for you, to see if she’d be interested in some hours outside of the hospital, plus she has friends. If she can’t help, maybe she’ll have names for you.”

“Oh Chris, that’d be wonderful, but I don’t want to ask you to infringe on your friendship with her, though.”

“Oh, I think she’ll love it. When I leave here, I’ll go talk to her.”

“Thank you! I swear, between you and Max, I’m feeling all kinds of special.”

“Max? He’s making you feel special? Isn’t he part of the reason why you’re in this boat?” Chris couldn’t help but to have a biting tone to his words.

“Well, yeah, but he got me my job with Pruitt & Massey; he knows one of the principals in the firm. He made a call to her to say that I was available, gave her the details of my departure, and helped set up the meeting so I could get the job.”

Chris couldn’t believe that Max, the man she despised days ago, was now going to be her hero because he helped her get a job. “So he called his friend, said ‘hey I fired this girl, I was an ass, I don’t think she should work for me again, but she should totally work for you.’ That must have been an interesting phone call.”

“I don’t think you are fair Chris. Max said he made a mistake in firing me, had he known the entire situation it wouldn’t have come to this. He’s willing to admit he was too quick to pull the trigger and is trying to make amends. Why can’t you be happy about that?”

Chris stood from the couch and looked back at Harper, “We’re not going to agree on this, I’m sorry. I’m glad you got a job, thrilled they’ll work around your schedule with Aiden, and I know you’ll be successful. You just won’t convince me that Max is truly looking out for you.”

“What, why not? He helped me get a job, how is that not looking out for me?”

“Because, sweetie, he is the one who is going to benefit in this. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve got a job, you’re benefitting, but he helped you to help himself.” Chris began walking toward the door, “I’ll talk to Becky for you, and I’ll follow-up in a few days, have a good night.”

Harper was stunned, she had not expected that conversation at all. What was going on that she kept arguing with him? All she wanted to do was to be on good terms, spend time with him, and it seemed to unravel every, single time. This was when she missed not having someone in her life to talk to about these things.

~*~  
Chris left Aiden’s room, closing the door behind him. For a minute, he stood, back against the wall, wondering how he ended up in this situation every time. He noticed Becky at the nurse’s station and began to walk towards her, “Hey, you got a minute?”

Becky turned to look at him, “Yeah, sure, what’s wrong though? You look like your dog died or something.”

“You know Aiden is getting out of here in a day or so, right?” Becky nodded her head in acknowledgment, “Well he can’t go back to school right away, he needs someone to be with him so Harper can go back to work. Do you think you could help find people to sit with him? I’m not sure if you need extra money or if you have friends who need extra hours or anything?”

“Chris, does Harper have any idea how much that would cost? I’m not sure her insurance will cover that cost because having an RN sitting with him will be expensive.”

He shook his head, “No, I don’t think she does. I’m just not sure I want a babysitter with him, though, I mean what if something were to happen? He needs to have someone there with him to take care of him.”

Becky smiled, she knew what this was all about, “Look, he won’t be on any chemo meds or anything when he goes home, there wouldn’t be any situations like he had a few weeks ago. He will be ‘normal’ when he goes home; he just can’t be around a lot of germs for a few weeks while his immune system builds back up. I think a nurse is a little overboard.”

“Humor me, please,” he cocked his head, and his eyes were pleading, “I want to make sure he’s okay, and Harper one less thing to worry about when she goes back to work.”

“Chris, I think you’re falling for this woman and this boy, your judgment is clouded by that. I’m a nurse, I’m all for keeping kids safe and healthy, but you’re going a little overboard,” Becky watched as her words sunk in; she felt for him. “Okay, look, I’ll sit with him but not in the capacity of a nurse. My schedule is getting ready to change; I’m going to be working Friday through Monday on 10-hour shifts. I can sit with him on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and I know someone who could probably do the Friday and Monday shifts.”

“Thanks, Becky, it means a lot to me. I’ll cover the costs, but I don’t want her to know that; you tell me what your real rate is and what she’s paying you, I’ll cover it all. I told her I’d call her to let her know if you’re interested, but if you want to tell her first, that’s fine. If not, I’ll call her tomorrow.”

“I’ll talk to a few of my friend about the Friday and Monday shifts, then I’ll talk to Harper.”

He nodded then began walking away, he was halfway to the elevator when he turned back toward Becky, “You’re wrong you know, I’m not falling, I already fell.”

~*~  
An hour or so after Chris had left, Becky walked into Aiden’s room. Harper was sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her; she was reading the large regulatory binder and had a hard time keeping her eyes open.

“Harper, I am sorry to interrupt; can I have a moment of your time?”

Harper looked at Becky and quickly closed her binder, “Of course, please come in, have a seat.”

“Well, Chris spoke to me when he was leaving tonight, mentioned you were looking for some help with Aiden when he is released since you have to go back to work, and he can’t go to school just yet.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll only need it for a month or so, the daycare he used to go to will take him back after he gets his medical release. I think the doctor said it would take 4-6 weeks to build his immune system back up.”

“I have a friend, Paula, she can sit with him on Monday and Friday and then I can be with him the rest of the week. Paula is a nurse on the 6th floor, I can bring her down to meet the two of you.”

“Oh, wow, that’s fantastic,” she hung her head, unsure of how to continue, “But I’m not sure I could pay the two for you what you would need. I mean, I need to see what insurance would cover, I don’t think I can really afford nurses, I was just going to get babysitters.”

Becky nodded, she understood where Harper was coming from, “Aiden is a great kid, I would love to help you out, and I’m sure we can negotiate something on the pay. I didn't agree to do this because of the pay,” Becky hoped that her little white lie would hold up. “It will be your decision, obviously; but, it would be easier for Aiden if it were people he already knew.”

“I agree; I’ll call the insurance company tomorrow to work out the details. Thank you, Becky, this would be a relief if we can work this out.”

Becky stood up, checked on Aiden, then left the room.

Harper pulled out her phone and texted Chris. She knew it was late, but she wanted to do it before she went to bed. It was a small thing that would help her relax a little more.  
  
“Thanks for talking to Becky, she’s interested in helping out. You really are my hero.”

She thought her text sounded mushy or corny, but she didn’t care. She wanted him to realize just how thankful she was for his help. She waited, but he didn’t send a return text or give an acknowledgment; she was disappointed. She settled into the couch and drifted off to sleep.

~*~  
Chris was sitting at the dining room table reading through a stack of scripts when the table began to vibrate, it was his cell phone. He picked it up, looked at the screen, it was a message from Harper. He was happy to see that Becky had talked to her and that Aiden would be taken care of. Her message about being a hero, that was harder to accept. She had no idea he had feelings for her and he couldn’t keep up the charade any longer. He would quietly help out with the expenses, but he couldn’t put himself in a position to be hurt because she didn’t realize his feelings.

~ * ~  
Harper sulked around the hospital room, she should be elated, her son was finally being released from the hospital and was going home. Instead, she was upset that she never heard back from Chris after she sent him the text message two days ago. She wanted nothing more than to see him and talk to him again.

The only person she had heard from was Max, he had sent Aiden balloons and a cookie bouquet. It was a sweet gesture, it made Aiden feel special, particularly as he had not received many deliveries. Of course, she had to remind her son that he couldn’t just sit down and devour twelve adorable cookies at one time. She would have Aiden send a thank you card to Max, she would make a phone call to thank him on her behalf. She had talked to him the previous night, before the gifts were delivered, and agreed to have lunch with him in the next few days. Since she had coverage during the day, she could take her lunch break from work to meet with him, but she could not go at night since Aiden was home.

She still wasn’t able to say she had feelings for Max, but she was at least giving him an opportunity. She was ready to move, wanted to feel like a woman again. The problem was, she wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted. The only thing she was sure of, was that she had butterflies in her stomach every time she saw and talked to Chris.

As her mind raced with everything that was going on, she heard a little voice, “Mom!! Are you daydreaming again?”

Harper’s head snapped up, and she saw Aiden getting settled into the wheelchair that Claudia had brought in. The balloons from Max were tied to the wheelchair handle, and Aiden was holding the cookie bouquet tightly in his lap, “Sorry, buddy, I guess I was. Let’s go!”

~*~  
Aiden was released from the hospital on Tuesday. Harper was given the approval to work from home for the remainder of the week; she would start in the office on Monday. For Harper, this new reality was not yet sinking in. She could not believe that Aiden was home, that life would be getting back to a regular routine.

She was going through the kitchen cabinets, trying to determine what they had on hand to fix for dinner. Her new reality did not include going to the grocery store and stocking up before Aiden was released. There was a knock at the door, her heart stopped, she said a silent prayer that it would be Chris.

She slowly walked to the door, nervously wringing her hands before turning the knob and opening it. She tried to hide her disappointment when she realized it wasn’t Chris, but Max on the other side, with a bag of groceries in hand, “I thought I would bring some fresh food and make dinner for the three of us, if you don’t already have plans, that is.”

“Wow! What a surprise, Max,” it was a nice gesture, but all Harper could think of were Chris’ words from the other night, ‘he helped you to help himself.’ It suddenly hit here that she had not offered for him to come in, “Sorry, how rude of me, please come in. Aiden, honey, come here, I’d like you to meet someone.”

Aiden came shuffling in from the other room with his tablet in hand, playing some game that he couldn’t get enough of. He looked up at Max, “Hey! So, who are you?”

“Aiden, don’t be rude, you have better manners than that! This is Max, he’s a friend of mine, used to be my boss. He was kind enough to bring groceries for dinner and is going to eat with us. He is also the nice man who sent you those cookies.”

Aiden put out his hand, offering a handshake, “Nice to meet you. Thank you for the cookies, mom won’t let me eat them all at once!” With the introduction out-of-the-way, Aiden turned, walking back into the living room to continue playing his game.

“I’m very sorry, I guess being stuck in that hospital room for a few months sucked all of his manners out of him,” she was embarrassed, her son had never been so rude before. She would have to talk to him about it after Max left. “So, what do you we have in the bag?”

Max and Harper got to fixing dinner, tacos with all of the fixings. It was a home run as far as Aiden was concerned, but then again, most kids loved food you can eat with your fingers. The conversation at dinner was light, it revolved around sports and games. Harper was thrilled that Max and Aiden were getting along and appeared to have some common ground. When dinner was finished, Harper let Aiden go and play while she cleared the table. Max joined her in the clean-up efforts, helping with the dishes in the kitchen.

“I really do appreciate that you brought groceries by, it was a thoughtful gesture. But you know you didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t have to, I know, but I wanted to. Plus, I figured you didn’t make it to the store before bringing him home,” he gestured toward Aiden in the living room, “And you are most likely sick of take out. If I brought you groceries, I could see you again, so I did have a motive.”

When the kitchen was clean, Harper and Max made their way towards the living room to talk. Aiden took the hint and excused himself to his room, shutting his door so he didn’t have to hear any of their conversation. Although, there was nothing romantic about the conversation at all. Instead, they talked about her new job and things that were going on at Max’s company.

Max checked his watch, “Goodness, it is almost nine, I should be going,” he stood up and started to move towards the door. Right before opening the door, he turned to Harper, who was following him, “Tell me we can do this again, please?”

She smiled warmly, “I’d like that, and I promise to have a stocked kitchen next time.”

He leaned in, giving her a gentle kiss, “I’ll call you,” he then opened the door and walked out, down the steps and towards his car.

Harper waited until he pulled out of the parking spot before she stepped back into the apartment and shut the door. She went into Aiden’s room to check on him, he had fallen asleep playing his game. She tucked him into his Captain America sheets, while his action figures kept watch from the nightstand.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Harper had slept soundly, the idea of being in her own bed, in her own apartment, had done wonders for her. She loved the fact that the morning commute consisted of walking from the bedroom to the kitchen table. That fifteen seconds was going to be killer! She decided to take a detour, check on Aiden, make sure he was doing alright. She slowly opened his door, finding him sound asleep and in the same position she left him in the evening before.

She made a cup of coffee and sat down to begin going through the next volume of government regulations. Her concentration was broken by a knock on her door. She thought it was odd to have someone at her door before 9 am on a weekday; she slowly opened the door to find a FedEx delivery man.

“Morning, ma’am. I have a package delivery for a Mr. Aiden McDonald,” the driver offered with a bright and cheery smile.

Harper opened the door wide, “Well, he is asleep, but I’m his mother. I can sign for it if you like.” The driver nodded, handed her his electronic signature device and then passed her a rather large box. It was awkward, and a bit heavy, so she put it on the end of the dining room table.

She inspected the label, the return address was from Marvel Studios. She immediately knew this box had to be from Chris. She remembered when he was in Aiden’s room, he had made comments about his collection of Avenger and Captain America toys. She wanted to open the box but knew Aiden should be the one to do it. She briefly considered waking her son up just so he could open the box! She took her seat back at the table, trying to get back to work and concentrate on the regulations; however, it was useless. She kept staring at the box, wondering what he had done. After all, he had been more than generous in his time and visits. She looked over at her phone, willing herself to call him. It had been days since she had talked to him. She was afraid if she called him now she would appear to be desperate, definitely not the impression she wanted to give.

Instead, she turned back to her work, focusing on it and trying to push him out of her mind. The problem was, he wasn’t leaving her thoughts. It was like the box was taunting her to call him. She gave up resisting, picked up her phone, dialing his number and letting it ring. He didn’t answer, she was disappointed but figured she would at least leave him a voicemail.

“Hi, it’s me, Harper. Aiden received a delivery this morning, did you have something to do with this? He’s asleep so we haven’t opened it yet. I thought I’d offer for you to stop by so you could be here when he does open it. Let me know, hope to talk to you soon. Bye.”

She took a deep breath, figuring now that she had the phone call out of the way, she could now concentrate on work. About an hour later, Aiden shuffled from his room, wiping the sleep from his eyes, asking about the box on the table. Harper filled him in, letting him know it was his, but that he had to wait to open it. He pouted for a few minutes and then began playing a video game and forgot all about the present. Harper was still waiting for a return call from Chris.

As lunch time rolled around, Harper decided it was a good time to take a break. For her, that meant taking a shower and getting out of her pajamas. During her shower, she came to the realization that Chris wasn’t really interested in her, she needed to just let it go. The fight in the hospital room about Max was the last time they talked. He didn’t respond to her text message about Becky and he obviously didn’t return her call from this morning. She was taking the hint. She was tempted to send the box back, unopened, but that would be punishing Aiden and not Chris.

She stepped out of the bedroom, wet hair, no makeup, and stopped dead in her tracks. There in the dining room with Aiden, stood Chris, and they were chatting away. She quickly turned around, trying to sneak back into her room unnoticed, but failed miserably.

“Hey mom, look who came by!” Aiden’s enthusiasm was off the chart.

Chris looked up at her, his eyes locking on hers, “I hope you don’t mind that I just dropped by, I know I should have called first.”

“No, that’s fine, it’s sweet of you to stop by. I’ll just leave you two alone, so you can open the box, I’m just,” she motioned over her shoulder, “I’m gonna just dry my hair, I’ll be right back,” she was sure her nervousness was coming through in her voice.

“Don’t do that on my account, you look great,” Chris replied to her comment. He meant it, makeup and styled hair didn’t dictate how he felt about her, but he couldn’t tell her that. He couldn’t tell her that without admitting his feelings for her, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that yet.

Harper smiled sheepishly, “Thanks, but I will be right back, don’t wait on me, go ahead and open the box.”

Figuring it would be easier for Aiden, Chris picked up the box, moving it to the floor in the living room. He sat it in front of the couch, taking a seat to watch as Aiden began ripping at the tape. Once the tape was gone, Aiden flipped open the box and let out a loud shriek, the box was full of all things related to Captain America and The Avengers.

Marvel Entertainment had packed the box with the movies that Aiden was missing from his collection, along with boys, books, games, and action figures. Aiden’s eyes were wide as he pulled each item out and inspected it. He was laughing and crying at the same time; he reminded Chris of a child at Christmas.

Without warning, Aiden moved and wrapped his arms around Chris’ neck, giving him a tight hug, “Thank you so much, I love all of it. You’re the best Chris!”

Harper walked in just as Aiden began to hug Chris, she expected Chris to push him away or to be flippant about the situation. Instead, Chris hugged Aiden back, he seemed to relish the affection. Not in a creepy way, but in a real emotional bonding moment. When they released from the hug, Aiden sat down next to Chris and began going through the contents of the box, one item at a time.

Harper exited her room, walking towards them and sitting in the chair opposite the couch, “Wow, Aiden, it looks like you hit the motherlode of all things Marvel.” She didn’t make eye contact with Chris. Instead, she remained focused on the box and on her son.

“Chris had this stuff sent to me, it’s awesome. I can’t believe he did this for me, he’s awesome! Can I keep it, mom? Can I, please?”

The excitement in his eyes filled her heart. She quickly glanced over at Chris, “I believe he gave this to you as a gift, so it would be rude to not accept it. So, yes, you can keep it.” Chris smiled as she spoke, looking back at Aiden and his stockpile. “It was a kind gesture, Chris. Thank you, but I hope you know you didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but seeing the look on his face, it was worth it! The Marvel team did a great job filling the box based on what info I gave them from my visit a few weeks ago; I took inventory when I was in his room.”

Harper nodded, then stood and walked back into the dining room. She closed her work binder and straightened up the table. Chris stood up, patted Aiden on the shoulder, and stepped beside her, “I’m sorry I didn’t return your call this morning. I was busy at the time you called, when I was free, well, I thought I would just stop by. I hope I wasn’t out of line?”

She didn’t look at him, “No, that’s fine, not a problem at all. I hope you don’t mind that I called, I just thought you might enjoy being here when he opened the box.”

“After the other day at the hospital, well, I figured you were still mad at me,” he was starting to get really nervous, “I wasn’t sure if you would want me to come over, actually.”

Harper swallowed hard, she didn’t expect that he would be worried she was mad; she was sure it was the other way around. She fidgeted with her hands while attempting to come up with some sort of answer for him. Finally, she just let it out, “I’m not mad at you, I was actually afraid you were mad at me. I’ve picked up the phone a few times to call you, but I was too nervous to actually go through with it and dial your number.”

He let out a nervous laugh, “Maybe you should’ve called, it would’ve relieved the worry and doubt for both of us. So, when did he get to come home?” He asked, gesturing his head toward Aiden in the living room.

As she was about to answer, Aiden came into the room, “Hey, mom, can Chris stay for dinner or is Max coming over again?”

Her blood ran cold, she turned towards her son, “Please go in the other room, we’ll discuss dinner later.”

“I want Chris to stay, mom,” he turned to look at his hero, “Will you please stay for dinner?”

Chris walked over to Aiden, crouching in front of him so he could look directly into his eyes, “Buddy, let me talk to your mom a minute and we’ll see, okay?” Aiden couldn’t hide his disappointment, his head down, he turned and walked back to the living room.

Chris stood up, turning to face Harper, keeping his voice low but his tone made it clear, he was not happy, “So, you and Max dating now?”  
“It’s not what you think, I swear,” the look in her eyes conveyed that she was begging him to believe her.

He looked at her for a long minute, swallowed hard and said, “Tell me what happened between you and my mom?”

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head, “What? What does that have to do with anything?” She was flustered, couldn’t think clearly and had no idea what was happening.

“You see, I’m trying to piece things together, and I just can’t help but believe that your buddy Max is the missing puzzle piece. Ma doesn’t talk about you anymore, Harper; she quit coming to visit you, and I know she hasn’t called you. Hell, she even stopped trying to push me into seeing you, it’s like you two had a falling out,” he crossed his arms, his body language indicating he was digging in for this conversation, and he wasn’t letting it go so easy. “I want to know what happened. What is it that I don’t know about?”

She diverted her eyes from him, unable to look at him because she knew she couldn’t lie to him if she were staring into those eyes, “Nothing, nothing happened with your mom.” She knew she didn’t sound convincing, he wasn’t going to let this go.

“I’m not stupid, please don’t treat me like I am.”

She let out the breath she was holding and looked up at him, Fine, I had lunch with Max a few weeks ago, he let me know he overreacted in firing me. He was going to offer me my job back, but my boyfriend almost attacked him so he changed his mind,” she stopped, giving an opportunity for the words to sink in. Chris just stared at her, a confused look on his face, “He thought we were dating, when you confronted him, well he was scared of you, he changed his mind, decided not to hire me back.” Chris didn’t laugh, he just kept staring at her, willing her to move on with the story, “He told me he had a few job leads for me, that he was glad he didn’t hire me back because he could act on the feelings he has for me.”

Chris was unflinching, a scowl on his face, his eyes focused on her, as if he was staring right through her. She had to admit that he was sexy; there was a fire in his eyes, and it wavered between passion and anger. She would like it to be fueled by passion when he looked at her, but right now, she was pretty sure it wasn’t.

“Aren’t you going to say something?”

“Nope, because I know this story isn’t finished. Keep going.”

She took a deep breath and moved forward, “He asked me to go to dinner with him, I agreed, and when I told your mom, she asked if I had feelings for Max. I told her that I didn’t think so,” she stopped, unsure about going on but knowing he wanted her to be honest about what happened, “She accused me of using him. Right after that she got up and left, she hasn’t talked to me since.”

“So do you? Have feelings for him, I mean?”

“I do, and I don’t, that’s my honest answer. I’ve worked for him for years, we’re friends, and I’ve always valued that friendship. But I don’t’ think I have romantic feelings for him,” she bowed her head as she finished her answer.

“You don’t think? I thought you were smart and had just been dealt a really shitty hand in life. Now, I’m not so sure about that. You have no idea what you want, do you? No idea what you are looking for?”

“Oh, and let me guess, you do? You know it all, don’t you? Have it all worked figured out?” Harper spat out at him, she was growing frustrated with him and his high and mighty attitude. He glared at her, with his crossed arms, standing in judgment, if he had an opinion she was ready to hear it. “Enlighten me, Chris, show me what I’m looking for.”

He accepted her challenge, uncrossed his arms and took two steps towards her, “You’ve been on your own for several years. Frankly, you’ve lost who you are. You identify yourself as David’s widow, Aiden’s mom, and you’ve lost Harper and what she needs or deserves.” He took another step towards her, she instinctively took a step backward, “Max is not in love with you, he never will be. He’s looking out only for himself, keeping you on a string so you won’t sue him.”

“So, in other words, I’m not worth anything, then? Is that what you’re saying?” She couldn’t help but be defensive at this point.

“I’m not saying that at all, you’re worth more! And Max won’t be the one to give it to you, he won’t make you happy,” once again he took a step closer, she took another step back. “You deserve someone who cares for you, can see what a bright, sensitive, smart, and gorgeous woman you are. You deserve someone who will care for and love Aiden, treat him as his own. I’m telling you, Max isn’t that man.”

“And what makes you so sure?”

“Well, what makes you so sure that he is?”

She hated to admit that he had a point, she swallowed hard as she tried to gain composure to answer. She was getting turned on as he was so commanding in his voice, so sure of his words. It was almost as if he had this speech ready and waiting. While she was formulating her answer, he took two more steps forward, when she took her steps back, she ran out of space, her back was against the wall.

“You know he isn’t the man for you, that’s why you can’t think of a single thing to say to defend him,” he leaned forward and whispered into her ear, in a low and breathy voice, “Do you have feelings for him?”

His breath on her ear sent a shiver up her spine, she closed her eyes and put her head down, turning her head away from him, “No.”

He cupped his hands on her face, then ran one hand up into her hair as he pushed his body into hers and kissed her. He let his lips linger for a moment, then pulled back, stared into her eyes, released his hands and walked away without saying another word to her.

She watched as he said goodbye to Aiden, then walked out of the apartment. She raised her hand, touching her lips; the kiss was not hot and steamy, it as sweet and loving. However, it still raised her body temperature and left her yearning for more. She wanted to dash out of the apartment and tackle him in the parking lot, but she couldn’t move, she was frozen in place.

She was snapped back to reality when she heard her son ask, “Why did Chris leave? I thought he was going to stay for dinner?”

“Um, he had to go, we’ll have him come over another night,” she only hoped that would be true.

~*~  
Chris drove to the theater; he couldn’t bring himself to get out of the car. Instead, he sat there and let his mind wander back to the kiss. He wanted to give her a kiss that would bring her to her knees, he had her against the wall, which meant he had the power to do it. But he chickened out, giving her a sweet kiss that probably did nothing more than get her worked up. Why didn’t he just come out and say that he was the man she needs? He should have said the words because he didn’t think the kiss conveyed it.

Tired of beating himself up about it, he got out of the car, walked into the theater, heading straight for his mom’s office. He didn’t bother knocking, just walked in and started in on his line of questioning, “Why in the world would you accuse Harper of using Max? Do you really think that’s what she’s doing?”

Lisa put down her pen, looked up at her son and smiled, “Well good afternoon to you, too! Obviously, you’ve talked to Harper?”

He shook his head at his mom, unsure as to why she started the conversation that way, “Yeah, I just left there. And Aiden is doing well, by the way, thanks for asking,” he couldn’t help but slide a snarky remark in for good measure.

“You aren’t mad at me for suggesting she was using Max. You’re upset because you found out she went to dinner with him.”

“Dinner?” He let out a laugh, “Oh, no, she’s been seeing him, Ma. He’s been to the apartment to see Aiden. He got her a job at a company that a friend of his owns.” He began pacing back and forth in the office, his steps were deliberate and forceful, “I don’t think he’s slept with her yet, but I didn’t ask. I’m not sure I could’ve handled the answer, to be honest.”

“Sit down, Christopher, you’re going to wear a path in the carpet,” Lisa began speaking in a soothing voice, he complied and lowered himself into a chair directly across from her desk. “You’re upset because you have feelings she isn’t reciprocating. But you can’t be mad if you don’t tell her how you feel.”

He leaned forward, put his head in his hands, took a deep breath and exhaled, “I told her she needed someone who would love her like she deserves, someone who would love Aiden like he was their own. And I told her that person was never going to be Max.”

Lisa looked at her son carefully, “Did you tell her that person was you?”  
He shook his head no, bowed his head and looked down at the floor, “No, I couldn’t do it. Instead, I kissed her. I backed her up against the wall and kissed her, a soft kiss, then walked out.”

“Wow! That sounds romantic and a little intense. Did she say anything?”

“No, I had hoped she would follow me out to the car. I even waited a minute or two to give her a chance,” he said with a slight chuckle. “I think she was stunned, she wasn’t expecting it. Probably had trouble processing it; it was all I knew to do, she had no idea about my feelings for her.”

“How long are you willing to wait before you talk to her again?”

“I am seriously fighting the urge to call her right now!”

“She doesn’t know what she wants, she’s most likely confused right now. Don’t push it, but don’t wait forever either.”

“Aren’t you going to talk me out of pursuing her? Tell me I’m crazy and to just walk away?”

“Would it do any good if I did?”

Chris laughed, “Probably not!”

~ * ~  
The alarm clock illuminated the bedside table; it was 1:45 am, Harper had not yet been able to fall asleep. Her mind was still trying to process the confrontation with Chris. She could not believe he kissed her, could not believe she didn’t have an opportunity to kiss him back. Her body screamed for her to move but she was frozen in place. She remembered the feeling of his body against her, could only think of having him that close again. She had no idea that he had feelings for her until that moment; she was fairly sure he didn't know that his feelings were mutual.

She tossed the covers aside, sat up and rubbed her hands over her face, it wouldn’t do any good to stay in bed when her mind was on anything but sleep. She pulled on her robe, padded across the apartment to check on Aiden. She stood in his doorway, watched him sleep and let things that Chris said run through her mind. There was no doubt that Aiden was the most important person in her life, but maybe she had lost sight of who she was, what she wanted. She realized she had sacrificed so much, but she wasn’t complaining. That is what you did when you were a parent, she knew that, but was it selfish for her to want something for herself for once?

She knew there were parents, even single parents, who had enriched lives of their own while still providing for their children. Why couldn’t she do that? She slowly pulled his door shut, walking back to the dining room. Since she was up, she might as well work, keep her mind off of Chris.

~*~  
Harper let out a loud snore, startling herself awake, as she sat up, a piece of paper was stuck to the side of her face. At some point, exhaustion had overtaken her, and she had fallen asleep. As she peeled the paper from her cheek, she looked around and realized that Aiden was not up yet. She yawned, stretched, and decided to splash cold water on her face to revive herself. She changed out of her pajamas into jeans and a t-shirt, then moved to the kitchen for an extra strong cup of coffee.

Her mind kept drifting back to Chris, no matter how hard she tried not to think about him. If he was willing to make a move, then she needed to put herself out there, too. It had been years since she had dated, she wasn’t even sure how things were done these days. It was cosmopolitan for women to be aggressive, make the first move, but it just didn’t fit her personality. She had no choice, though, she needed to put her feelings out there, take a chance and hope for the best. The worst that could happen, he could tell her he’s not interested, after all, she’s been misreading the signals. But how can you misread a kiss?

Deep down, she knew that Max wasn’t going to be the one to make her happy. She had known it before Chris pointed it out. Of course, he kept saying that Max was using her, maybe he was. But maybe she was using him after all, using him to get back into the dating world, determine what she really wanted for herself.

The struggle she had, though, was Chris the one that would make her happy? Was he referring to himself as being the ideal one for her? Right now he was all she could think about, but long-term would he be the one? She didn’t think she had the typical Hollywood look, it would only be a matter of time before he moved on. She had figured before it was all said and done, she would find an argument for a ‘relationship’ to be over before it could ever start.

She fought an internal battle for an hour, before deciding to go for it. She made a few phone calls, set up a few arrangements. Her thought being, if she was going to go out on a limb, make a move, everything had to be in place before she called him. She dialed his number, waited for him to answer. She was on the verge of hanging up when he finally answered.

She didn’t give him an opportunity to even say ‘hello’ she just barreled forward, “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time, do you have a minute or two to talk?”

Chris started to laugh, “Good afternoon, Harper, it’s nice to hear your voice. For you, I’ve got a few minutes, what’s up?”

“I’m not really good at this sort of thing, see, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about yesterday.”

“Oh? Did something happen yesterday?” Chris asked with a smirk, trying to act coy.

“Um, yeah, well, you see, I wanted to know if we could discuss what happened over dinner tomorrow night. Would you be willing to go out to dinner with me?”

Chris was surprised, he hadn’t anticipated that. “Dinner? Yeah, I can go dinner tomorrow night, what did you have in mind?”

“I’ve made reservations, got a sitter for Aiden. I thought I’d pick you up at 7 pm, would that work for you?”

“You want to pick me up? Isn’t that unconventional, shouldn’t I come and get you?”

“I thought whoever did the asking did the picking up, is that not how it works?” She began to worry she was going about this all wrong.

Chris started to laugh, “I’m sorry, I’m just teasing you. I’m free tomorrow night and would love to go to dinner with you.”

“Oh, yeah, I totally knew you were kidding,” she tried to play it off, hoped she wasn’t making herself look like a complete ass.

“I guess you’re going to need me to text you my address, right?”

“Well, it would be helpful, might make it easier to come and pick you up. I told you I’m not good at this sort of thing,” she laughed nervously.

They each said their goodbyes and disconnected the call. She could not believe she had actually asked him out. On one hand, she was excited that he had said yes, but on the other, she was nervous because he had actually said yes!

~*~  
Friday morning, her last day working at home. She focused on getting the binders read, or at least attempted to, she didn’t want to go into the office on Monday without having the majority of the work done. She had a small problem, her stomach was in a knot. She was nervous about her dinner with Chris, from what to wear to whether she would make an absolute fool of herself.

She began fidgeting, deciding to give in and start getting ready a full three hours before her date. She styled her hair several times, tried her makeup a few ways to get the perfect look, never feeling like she had it just right. She lost track of time and almost had a panic attack when the doorbell rang, it was the sitter for Aiden!

Harper ran to the door, swinging it open, “Hey Becky, come on in. I really appreciate you giving up your Friday night to sit with Aiden.”

Becky walked in, taking a look around the apartment, “It’s not a problem, I’m just glad I was available, my shifts were changed this week,” she looked over Harper, all dressed up, a sight she wasn’t familiar seeing. “Wow, you look great, so what’s the special occasion?”

As the question was escaping Becky’s lips, Aiden ran into the room, “Hi Becky, doesn’t mom look pretty? She’s going to dinner with Chris tonight!”

“Oh, really? Glad to see you two are staying in touch,” Becky said with a grin, she was also tempering her comments with Aiden being in the room.

“Yeah, mom likes him, but she doesn’t think I know that,” Aiden proclaimed and started laughing hysterically.

Harper glared at her son and his laughing subsided, “Will you please go in the other room? I need to talk to Becky,” she watched as he shrugged his shoulders and walked back into his bedroom where he had been playing before Becky came in. “So, yeah, I’m going to dinner with Chris. It is really nothing more than an opportunity to thank him for his kindness towards Aiden, and towards me, that’s all.,” she wanted to downplay it.

“Right, I see. And, is Aiden correct, do you like him?”

“Sure, he’s a good man. He’s been so kind to Aiden, but we’ve had a few scuffles, he can be quite protective.”

“Harper, I mean do you really like him. Come on, you know what I’m referring to.”

“I don’t know, maybe,” she was playing coy since she didn’t know Becky that well.

“I’ve known Chris for a long time, he’s one of my oldest and dearest friends, so believe me when I tell you he is protective of the people he cares about. It’s evident he cares about you and Aiden, so be careful with your heart, but be careful with his, too.”

Harper nodded in agreement to what Becky was saying. She appreciated her candor, although she had to admit it was a little odd. “I’m confused, Becky, I just don’t know what’s going on between the two of us. I guess I’m hoping tonight gives me a little clarity, one way or the other,” she didn’t want to go into any other details. She definitely didn’t want to explain the kiss or the feelings around it. No, she figured it was best to leave that topic off limits. “I guess I should give you the five-cent tour of the apartment!” She tried to quickly change the subject and make light of the reason she was there.

After walking her around, Harper glanced at the clock, “I guess I should go. I need to pick him up at seven, and I don’t know how long it will take to get over there. It’s about a thirty-minute drive, right?”

“Yeah, traffic shouldn’t be that bad, but it wouldn’t hurt to leave now, especially since you’ve never driven over there before,” Becky offered, she could tell that Harper’s nerves were getting the best of her.

Harper walked over to Aiden, pulling him into a hug, “Please be good tonight, don’t give Becky any trouble! I’m a phone call away, if you need me,” she kissed the top of his head, leaving a faint lip mark on his bald head. She grabbed her purse and stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath before turning the knob and exiting the apartment.  
 


	11. Chapter 11

 

She slid behind the wheel of her car, trying to calm her shaking hands. It was nearly an hour before she was supposed to pick up Chris. If she had stayed in the apartment, she would have talked herself out of going or she would have been forced to discuss the date with Becky. Two options that she didn’t want to entertain. She usually drove like a bat out of hell, so she was doing everything within her power to make the trip to Sudbury below the speed limit.

Her brain went into overdrive as she got closer to his house. He was currently staying with his mom; in the house, he grew up in. She also knew that his sister and her family lived there, too. Which meant there would be plenty of eyes on her when she picked him up. Suddenly, she wished she could be one of those people who just pulled into the driveway and honked, just waiting for her date to come to the car. Luckily, she had dressed to impress, or at least she had hoped she had dressed to impress. You only get one chance to make a first impression. She had already met Lisa, but since they had a bit of a falling out, she hoped this might be a chance at redemption. The opinions of the rest of the family were important as well, if they didn’t like her, her chances with Chris would be gone.

She had dressed in a white Oxford shirt with a knee-length black pencil skirt with micro polka dots and a gray flannel cardigan with trim matching the skirt. She elected to wear gray flannel pumps and a chunky black necklace to pull the outfit together. She partly feared that she looked like she was going to business dinner versus a date; she hadn’t used the word ‘date’ with Chris so she wasn’t sure they were even on the same page for tonight.

She arrived in Sudbury around 6:30, too early to go to the house. She drove around, wasting time and gas, getting a feel for the town that he called home. Finally, at 6:45 she pulled onto his street. She didn’t want to park in front of the house since she was early, she was down the block. She killed the lights, turned off the car and figured she would pull into his drive right before seven, he would never know the difference. She had only been sitting there a second or two when her text message alert chimed.  
  
“It’s too cold to sit in the car, I’m ready, pull down the block & come in.”

“Fuck!” She’d been seen; so much for trying to be smooth! She didn’t respond to the text, she just started the car and slowly drove down the street and pulled into the drive. She turned off the car, let out a deep breath, opened the car door and stepped out. She had not made it very far when the front door opened, and Chris walked out to greet her. He took her breath away. He was wearing a dark charcoal suit with a light gray shirt, the top buttons were undone, and he was not wearing a tie. He was stunning, it was a good thing she didn’t have to speak, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to find her voice.

He smiled warmly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. My nephew was watching the street for cars, he was so excited to meet my date. He saw you pull up and was confused as to why you stopped down the road,” his eyes danced as he spoke to her. It wasn’t lost on her that he had referred to her as his date.

She kept her head down, but she couldn’t hide her smile, “I was so scared that I would be late, I ended up being really early,” she let out a nervous laugh.

“Oh, you don’t need to apologize. I’ve been ready for a while, I guess you could say I was a little nervous, too,” he reached for her hand, “How about coming in and meeting everyone?” She smiled, starting the walk up the sidewalk and being lost in the feeling of her hand in his, she was surprised at how comfortable she actually seemed to be. As they reached the door, he turned to her, “You look fantastic, don’t be nervous, just be yourself. You already know Ma, so this will be easy.”

She let out a nervous laugh, “Well, you are quite dashing this evening, I must say,” taking a deep breath, she squeezed his hand, “I can’t help but feel nervous, you intimidate me, so does your family.”

Chris squeezed her hand back, giving her a reassuring smile, then opened the front door. The first person to greet them was his nephew, Miles. He smiled, waved, and immediately ran towards the family room laughing. As Chris led her into the room, she noticed his family lined up, waiting for them to enter. The first thought racing through her mind was that she was about to face the firing squad.

Chris took over and did the formal introductions, first Shanna, Scott, and then Carly and her husband Ryan. Each one of them shook her hand, smiled, and offered a polite greeting. The kids, Ethan, Miles, and Stella were very excited to see Chris and meet his date. Following the introductions, Carly spoke out, “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Chris has told us quite a bit about you.”

Harper began to blush, “Oh, I can’t imagine what he’s told you,” she glanced over at him, and he smiled back at her, “It is my pleasure to meet all of you, though.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been nice, filled them in on Aiden, too,” he motioned to a chair, prompting her to take a seat.

The air in the room was full of tension, but everyone made polite small talk. They asked about Aiden, how he was doing and questioned his love for a particular superhero. It was not lost on Harper that Lisa was not joining the conversation. Instead, she was sitting back and observing. Harper felt like she was under a microscope and was pretty sure she was failing whatever test she was unwittingly taking.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Chris either. He watched Harper carefully, she was starting to get a little uncomfortable, so he figured he should rescue her. “What time did you make our dinner reservation for?” He asked while checking his watch.

“Um, I made them for 7:30, why, what time is it?”

“It’s 10 after, didn’t you say dinner was in Concord?” Harper nodded her head in acknowledgment, “Then we best get going,” he stood up, offering his hand to her to assist her out of the chair.

As they made their way to the front door, Harper turned back towards everyone and waved, “It was very nice meeting you all this evening. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Chris gave her a broad smile, then looked at his family, “Don’t wait up, guys!” He opened the door and walked her out on the front porch into the cool, crisp air. He noticed she let the breath he wasn’t aware she had been holding, “Hey, are you alright?”

“Who me? Oh, yeah, I’m good. Just nervous, I was afraid I would end up saying the wrong thing to someone. They scared the hell out of me, Chris,” she let out a nervous laugh.

“You did great, they all seemed to like you, so nothing to be worried about. And don’t worry, the firing line will be smaller when you meet my dad and his family,” he smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. They started walking toward the car. Chris looked at her and with a sweet smile asked, “Where are the keys?”

“Why do you want them?” She asked playfully.

“So, I can drive to dinner,” he said in a sing-song voice.

She held out the keys in front of her, “Isn’t it okay that I drive? Or is that too unconventional for you?” There was a devilish smile in her voice and in her eyes.

“Oh it isn’t unconventional, but I would rather be in control,” he took the keys from her hand, bent down to nip at her ear. She visibly shuddered, he couldn’t help but enjoy it. He walked her over to the passenger side of the car, opening the car door for her.

“You are playing dirty, Mr. Evans.”

“I had to break the tension somehow,” he offered as he shut the door, the walked around to the driver’s side, lowering himself into the car, “So, where are we headed for dinner?”

“I made reservations at 80 Thoreau; do you know where that is?”

“I do; I’ve wanted to go there because I’ve heard great things about it. How in the world did you finagle a reservation? Isn’t the waiting list a long one?”

Harper began to blush, “Well, I did sort of use your name in the hopes that they could make room for Captain America.”

He let out a hearty laugh, “Wow, looks like you like to take control as well my dear.”

“Yeah, I can play dirty when I need to.”

~*~  
They drove the short distance from Sudbury to the to the unassuming train depot in Concord. While Harper knew the address for the restaurant, she didn’t realize where it was located. There was no sign to speak of, she was actually afraid they might be in the wrong place; but as they walked toward the front of the building, she saw the trademark blue door announcing the location. The opened the door, ascending the stairs to the dining area.

They were met at the top of the stairs, led to a small table near the large picture window that overlooked the rails. The decor was impeccable, the open view to the kitchen was something she had never seen before. It was no wonder this place was hard to get a reservation for; the dining space was small, and the bar space was more conducive to mingling with no tables for dining.

“This place is fantastic; I’ve heard wonderful things about the food. Thank you for getting us in,” Harper smiled as they were settling in, reviewing their menu.

“Yeah don’t mention it, I didn’t really do much,” he smiled back, hoping she caught the sarcastic reference to her using his name for the reservation. She did.

“You know, actually, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I got a little carried away.”

“No apology necessary, I actually think it’s funny that you expected it to work! Or maybe I should say ‘thank you’ since now I know it works, I can use the trick more often.”

“Well, I wanted us to have a nice dinner, I thought this would be ideal,” she glanced at her menu and the wine selection, “I’m honestly not much of a wine drinker, so if you’d like a bottle, I’ll leave the choice up to you. Not sure I’d really know what to order.”

He smiled and ordered a bottle when the waiter returned; Harper loved his confidence in his selection and could not take her eyes off of him. “So, is there anything on the menu that looks particularly tasty?”

“Several things, but do you think we could talk a little before ordering?” He nodded his head and she went on, “I’d like to talk about the other day, you know about Max and the things you said.”

“And the kiss I gave you?” He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her as he spoke the words.

She blushed, “Yeah, and the kiss you gave me,” she began to fidget with her napkin, trying to work up the nerve to speak, “It’s true, I’ve gone out a few times with Max. I worked for him for years, while I’m angry with him, I felt I had to take some of the blame.”

“You didn’t have to take any of the blame. You didn’t owe him an explanation; saying you had a medical emergency was enough.”

“I know, and I know that he is trying to keep me from suing him. I guess he’s using me, and I was using him. I figured if I went to dinner with him a few times, it’d make things easier. I know it is hard to believe, but I don’t get out that often; I don’t know how to date.”

“I don’t want to ruin the possibility for a beautiful evening, but be honest with me. Do you have feelings for Max?”

She looked down at her lap, “No, I don’t have feelings for him. At least not in the way he’s hoping that I’ll have feelings for him.”

He watched her intently, he knew she was uncomfortable with this line of conversation. But she brought the subject up, so he had every right to ask her about it. “Do you think you could ever have feelings for him?”

“No, I just don’t see him that way. I’m not sure how to tell him that, though, without upsetting him. He helped me get a job, I’m afraid he’ll get me fired if I don’t go out with him.”

“So you’re willing to trade your happiness for a job?”

“You think I’m a horrible person, don’t you?”

“On the contrary, I believe that you are confused, you want to do the right thing, but you don’t really know what that is.”

She looked up, locking eyes with him, “Why did you kiss me?”

Now it was his turn to be uncomfortable, “I like you; I’ve actually liked you from the first time I saw you. I’ve wanted to tell you, but I was at least hoping my actions were showing you I was interested.”

“I thought you were just a really nice guy, figured you were like this to all the people you met that were in my situation,” she smiled and gave a slight chuckle, “You know I’m slow right? I mean after all my boss was evidently in love with me and I never realized it.”

He started to laugh softly, “You aren’t slow, I just think you were sidetracked by something more important.”

“Why do you like me, Chris? I mean, I’m a broken woman with a dying child, I don’t have a whole lot to offer.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, you’ve got a lot to offer. I like you because you’re real, you’re smart, you’re caring,” he reached across the table for her hand, “You’re beautiful, and when you smile, well you’re even more beautiful.”

She could feel her cheeks blush, “I’ll admit, I had feelings for you that first time I saw you, too. But, honestly, I think I actually fell for you when you came to see Aiden when things got terrible. I was just afraid you wouldn’t want a woman like me.” She took a deep breath and a smile began to form on her lips, “I’ll admit, though, I like how I feel when I’m with you. I feel like I’m a woman, not just someone’s mom, it’s like you’ve given me a chance to get my identity back.”

They finally ordered dinner and continued with small talk. Before they knew it, the restaurant was preparing to close for the evening, and they had to leave. The waiter brought the check, handing it instinctively to Chris; Harper immediately snatched from his hand, slid her credit card into the case and gave it back to the waiter.

“Why are you buying dinner?”

“I asked you out, remember? Are you intimidated by a woman asking you out and buying you dinner?”

He smiled and began to blush slightly, “Well it is unconventional, seems I’ve said that a few times tonight. This wasn’t a cheap date; I feel bad that you are paying.”

“Well, I see we agree this is a date.”

“Yeah it’s a date, we both agreed we have feelings for each other, so I think it’s a given that this was a date.”

Just then the waiter reappeared, providing the receipt and her card. She filled in the tip, signed the receipt and placed her card back in her purse. Chris stood and walked over to help her from her seat. He slid his arm around her, walking her towards the stairs and out of the restaurant.

As they approached the car, he opened the car door and said, “This was a pretty good date, thank you for dinner.”

She flashed him a look of disappointment, “Only a pretty good date? I guess we’ll need to do this again to see if we can improve on that rating.”

He took a step forward and put his hands on her hips, pulling her gently towards him. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his. She had initially been startled when he kissed her, but she was ready when he deepened the kiss, pulling her even closer; instinctively her arms wrapped around him. They were as close as they could be while fully dressed and standing in a parking lot on a busy street.

The chilly autumn night was suddenly hot, Chris pulled back looking into her eyes, “How heavy of a sleeper is Aiden?”

She was confused for a moment, “What? Why?”

“Well we obviously can’t go back to my mom’s house; we would have an audience. And I’m not sure the show is age appropriate for everyone.”

A smile spread across her face, she began to laugh, “Yeah, we didn’t plan very well for tonight, did we? I would have you back to the house, but Becky is there. And how exactly would we explain to Aiden in the morning why you are there without a car?”

He hung his head to show defeat, then kissed her again. He then put his forehead against hers, took a deep breath and told her, “I don’t really want to let you go tonight, and I don’t want to go home alone.”

“I know; I don’t want to go home alone either. I am scared to actually admit that.”

“Will it make you feel better to know that I’ve been scared too?” She gave him a questioning look, “I was scared to make a move, I didn’t think you’d be interested and frankly, with everything going on with Aiden, it isn’t the best timing on my part to fall for a woman.”

“That does make me feel better. I was afraid of how horrible it would be for me, in the middle of my son’s health crisis, to fall for his favorite superhero. So we can be horrible together!” She began to laugh, and he joined her. The situation was bizarre, to say the least.

She slid into the passenger seat, and Chris walked around, sliding in behind the wheel, driving back to his mom’s house. He pulled into the drive, then turned the motor off, they sat in silence for a few moments before she reached for his hand and squeezed gently, “So since this only a pretty good date, do you want to try it again?”

“Well, yeah I’m willing to give it another shot I guess. Maybe see if we can find some chemistry,” he said sarcastically.

“Well, I am glad you are willing to try, I know it’s asking a lot,” she was light-hearted in her response. “Seriously, though, thank you for not giving up on me.”

He raised her hand to his lips, kissing gently, “Thank you for not giving up on yourself. I do want to see you again, it might just kill me to get out of the car.”

“Well, I’ve got this sneaking suspicion that there are people in the house watching us right now.”

“Oh, I guarantee it. What do you say? Let’s get out of the car and give them something to stare at.”

Harper got out of the car, walking forward to meet Chris in the beam of the car’s headlights. Without hesitation he pulled her into a kiss that had no pretense of soft or sweet; it was deep and passionate, she felt her body heat with desire. She had to put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself and keep from collapsing. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her in tight to his body, she had no question as to whether he was turned on.

As they broke from the kiss to catch their collective breath, he bent to her ear and softly whispered, “Do you think they enjoyed that?” He then nipped at her ear and began trailing kisses down her neck.

Breathlessly she answered, “I don’t know, but I don’t want you to stop.”

He kissed his way back up her neck and met her lips; this time, the exchange was softer but just as hot. He stepped back and lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes, “Damn, you’re beautiful. It’s taking everything within me to stop right now, I hope you know that.” She nodded her head slowly. “Are you going to be okay to drive home?” She again nodded her head, she was unable to speak.

He took her hand and led her to the driver side of the car, opening the door for her. As Harper slid into the seat, he closed the door, she put the window down. He leaned across the door, “Please let me know you got home safe, I have to admit I don’t like that you’re driving home so late by yourself.”

“I’ll be okay, but I do think it is sweet that you’re worried. Good luck when you go in the house, I’m going to guess you’ll have to face an inquisition.”

He smiled, stood up and watched as she backed out of the driveway and began to drive home. He stood there for a few minutes, watching as the headlights disappeared into the darkness. She was right, he knew that everyone would be sitting in the living room, ready to pounce and ask a million questions. He let a deep sigh, put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly up the sidewalk and through the front door. As he entered the house, he noticed Scott, Carly, and Lisa in the living room.

He decided to play it cool, glancing into the living room as he began walking up the stairs, “Hey guys, good night, see you in the morning.” He had taken two steps when he heard his mother cry out from the living room.  
“Christopher, come back here!”

He could tell she had a playful tone to her voice, Carly and Scott were trying to muffle their laughter. He walked back down the steps, standing in the doorway he tried to act like it was just another night, “Yeah, what’s up?”

“Quit playing innocent, how was dinner?”

“Forget dinner, I want to hear about dessert!” Scott quipped.

Chris could feel his cheeks getting warm. He had kissed her in sight of everyone on purpose; he knew they were watching, he wanted to give them a show. He just didn’t think it through enough, the fact that he would have to actually talk to them about it. He had always been very open with his family, they talked about everything, but for some reason, this was a little different.

“I really like her, we had a lovely time at dinner, we’re on the same page. We’re going to give dating a shot, see if we can make it work.”

Carly stood up and walked over to her brother, reaching out she gathered him into a hug, “I have to tell you when we met her this evening, I liked her. She seems genuine, I think it’s evident that you really have feelings for her. I’m sorry I gave you so much shit about it.”

“Thanks, that means a lot. I want to be careful, I’ve got this fear of hurting her and she hasn’t done the dating thing or relied on someone else for quite some time. I think there will be one hell of a learning curve on this.”

Scott decided to speak up, he had not actually discussed any of this with his brother since that night where it evolved into an argument. “I don’t want to get slapped for asking this, but are you okay with the idea that she has a kid? I mean, if this gets serious,” his voice trailed off.

“I’ve thought about it; I honestly believe that’s one of the reasons I’m crazy about her. Her heart is full of love, she’s spent so much time taking care of other people, it’s time someone takes care of her.”

“Son, please make sure you’re careful with your own heart. I know you think you’re falling for her, just don’t mistake caring for her as love, when it might not be.”

Chris shook his head, he knew what his mom was saying, but he knew in his head and his heart that he had fallen in love. He also knew that Harper was not in the same place, he’d have to be patient to see if she came around.

~*~  
Harper was having a hard time concentrating on her drive back to the apartment; since leaving Chris her body was tingling, her mind was racing. The kiss in the driveway was hot and intense, for a moment she was so lost, she forgot there was an audience. Then again, maybe she didn’t mind being watched. His family could see that he had feelings for her, that they were reciprocated. Maybe that kiss and the feelings she had were a validation of some sort. However, as much as she enjoyed being in his arms, her mind began to flood with the last time she had these feelings. She had to pull over to the side of the road as her eyes began to tear up, she started thinking of David. She thought of him often; that is what you do when you lose a spouse, you reflect on the good and brush aside the bad.

Not that life with him was bad, it was just different. Her parents, especially her mother, did not approve of him, and that put a strain on them. She clearly chose him, when her parents died, she had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind of what if her parents were right. But she loved him, and you can’t help who you fall in love with, right? Now she was second guessing everything again. Was she falling for Chris? What did that say about her life with David? Can you really love more than one person in your lifetime? She had to quit thinking about this because it wasn’t going to do her any good. Plus, you can’t make decisions on who your real soul mate was when you are pulled over on the side of the road!

Harper wiped the tears from her eyes and finished driving home. She quietly entered the apartment, it was a little after 11 pm, she didn’t want to wake Becky if she had fallen asleep. As she closed the door, she heard the sound of the TV turning off, turning around she saw Becky standing up from the couch.

“Hey! How was the date?”

“It was wonderful! We talked so much we didn’t have time to go and do anything else. But that was good, it gave us a chance to get to know each other better.”

“So, are you going to see him again?”

“Yeah, I think so, I hope so. I believe there is definitely a mutual interest,” she couldn’t help but smile as she said those words.

“Harper, you have been a little preoccupied with Aiden, understandably so; but it’s obvious that Chris is attracted, or as you say, interested. Just be careful.”

“Thanks, Becky, I just hope I don’t disappoint once he gets to know me,” she walked into the living room, flopping down on the couch, “So how was he tonight?” She motioned toward Aiden’s door.

Becky took a seat next to her, “He was great, he loves the idea that his mom went on a date with Chris Evans! I guess it is a good thing he isn’t in school because everyone would know about it in the morning!”

“I know; I don’t think I am ready for that!”

The ladies talked for a while; Harper was enjoying the fact she had someone to talk to about Chris and her evening. As Becky prepared to leave, they made arrangements for the upcoming week since Harper would be returning to the office. When Becky left, she locked the door, walking towards the bedroom, then she remembered she was supposed to let Chris know she got home safe. She grabbed her phone, noticing he had already sent a few messages.

       _did u make it home_

       _r u home? im worried, its late_

_txt me back or im driving over there_

She couldn’t help but smile, the messages were sent within a few minutes of one another. Surely he wouldn’t drive over to her place; just in case, she hurried to send a reply message.

       ** _sorry, forgot to txt, was talking to Becky_**

She anticipated that he would respond right away, but he didn’t. She waited for a minute or two and texted him again.

       ** _Plz tell me u aren't driving here, i'm home safe, i promise_**

A minute or two passed, she was beginning to seriously think he might be driving over. She would gladly welcome him into the house, but she just didn’t want him driving to the apartment in a panic. She was preparing to call him when he finally responded.

      _r u tucked into bed?_

_**yes, what took u so long to answer?**_

_wanted u to worry if i was going to answer or knock on your door_

_**you are evil**_

_u have no idea how evil I can bed!_

_R u in bed?_

_**Yes**_

_what r u wearing?_

_**does it matter?**_

_i want to imagine u while we text_

_it'll help me sleep_

_so in my dream i know what i am taking off of u!_

_**oh! in that case**_

**_flannel pj pants_ **

_**long sleeve turtle neck nightshirt & socks**_

_U are no fun!_

_**I'd rather be in the room if u are excited**_

_promises, promises_

_**I promise I'll make it up to you**_

**_go to sleep_ **

_good night, Harper_

_**good night, Chris**_

Harper placed her cell phone on the nightstand, rolled onto her side and clutched a pillow to her chest. It didn’t take long for sleep to overtake her.  
 


	12. Chapter 12

The morning sun came in through the bedroom window, bringing Harper out of her slumber. She was still clutching the pillow to her chest, she had thoughts of Chris in her head. She was enjoying the silence of the room and the thoughts of her date when she heard the door open and Aiden walk in. He slowly approached the bed, checking to see if his mom was awake, he then climbed onto the bed and sat next to her.

“Morning, mom! Did you have a good date?”

Harper just looked at him for a moment before answering; the life was back in his eyes, he had his personality back. After all of those months in the hospital and his life hanging in the balance, she had her sweet and innocent little boy back, and it made her heart swell. “Yes, I had a good date, and Chris wanted me to tell you hello.”

“Can you invite him over today?”

“No, I don’t think that is a good idea.” She sat up on the bed and began chewing her lip while she thought of the best way to explain this to her son. “You see, Chris is a friend to the both of us, but he has family and other friends in his life. He can’t just hang out with us all the time.”

“I know, but he likes you, he told me.”

“Well, I like him too. He is a nice man and I certainly hope that we hang out with him more, but he isn’t like a kid from school that you can just call to come over and play.”

“But he likes to play, he played games with me and said we were buddies.”

She put her arm around her son and cuddled with him; he was so innocent and sweet, and it broke her heart to have to burst his bubble. “Aiden, he is a grown up, you can’t just call him to play. I know that’s hard for you to understand.” She kissed his head and rubbed his back, “We’ll just have a day for the two of us, we can do whatever you want, except calling Chris.”

~*~  
The alarm began buzzing at 6:00 am and Harper was tempted to slap the snooze alarm but was afraid it would make it harder to get out of bed later. She was not looking forward to leaving Aiden, but she was looking forward to having interactions with people other than doctors and nurses. She flung her legs off of the side of the bed, padding into the bathroom for a shower. She did her hair, makeup, and got dressed relatively quickly. When she went into the kitchen to make her coffee, she realized it was only 6:45. She had 45 minutes before she had to leave for work and all that did was provide more time for her to begin to stress about going back to work.

During the two weeks, since she had been hired, she had devoured the information in the binders and felt confident that she would be able to hold her own. Her concern was not whether she knew the material or could do the job, it was the fear of developing new relationships at work and the questions that she might get over Aiden and her situation. She was not anti-social, she just didn’t want to be defined as the woman who had a dying child and needed special work arrangements.

By the time Becky had arrived for duty, Harper had consumed 4 cups of coffee. She was trying to keep the shakes at bay, but the tremors were noticeable.

“I see you are nervous to go into the office,” Becky observed while pointing towards Harper’s trembling hand. “How many cups of coffee have you had this morning?”

“Too much I think. I can’t help but be nervous. I am scared no one will like me or I won’t be able to do the job. What happens if they think they made a mistake hiring me?”

“You are over-thinking it,” Becky put her hands on Harper’s shoulders, “Take a deep breath, hold it for 5 seconds and let it out. You’ve got this.”

“You know, in the past, I’ve always been so strong and confident, but lately, I just can’t seem to wrap my head around things like I used to.”

“It is understandable; these last few months have been highly traumatic. Just do the breathing exercises, and it will help keep you centered and calm.”

“Thanks, Becky! I will try to call and check in if I can, but call me if there is an emergency.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be okay. Good luck although I know you will do great!”

Harper gave her a hug and then moved to the front door. She took a deep breath, opened the door and walked to her car. The drive to the office was short, she was 15 minutes early and didn’t want to sit and have more time to think about what could or would go wrong. The tremors were returning, panic was setting in. She stood from the car, smoothed the shirt on her black and white dress and buttoned the top button of her yellow cardigan. She took two deep breaths and then held her head high and walked with confidence into the building and towards her new office.

Harper’s fears disappeared when she got into the office. Everyone was friendly and welcoming - they were excited to meet her and did not mention her unique working situation, never asking questions about Aiden or her private life. She wanted to open up to people eventually and make friends and begin to rediscover herself beyond life as Aiden’s mother. Chris had made her realize she was more, this would be a good way to do it, just not on the first day in the office.

The day had been busy; meetings to go over what she had learned from the reading materials, as well as meetings to kick off some of the larger building projects. She was heading back to her office after the last meeting when she realized it was almost quarter after 5. She had never had an opportunity to check in on Aiden. Heck, she had not even had time to go to lunch, and the rumble in her stomach drove that point home. She grabbed her purse and some work materials and made the short drive back to the apartment.

During the trip she mentally checked the inventory of her cabinets, hoping she had something quick and easy to fix for dinner. She wanted to eat, visit with Aiden, and call Chris. She could not wait to tell him about her first day. She bounded up the stairs, and as she began to open the apartment door, she noticed soft music playing. She also thought she smelled food cooking, but cooking wasn’t part of her arrangement with Becky. If she had cooked, well she deserved a raise! As she opened the door, she found Chris and Aiden in the kitchen stirring pots on the stove.

“Mom, you’re home! We wanted to surprise you, we cooked dinner!” He came running towards her and wrapped his arms around her. “So, are you surprised?”

Harper looked around the room and noticed the table set and a large bouquet of lilies sitting on the kitchen counter. Chris was in the kitchen with his sleeves rolled up, a smile on his face, and a dish towel slung over his shoulder; he looked so domestic. She picked Aiden up, kissing his cheek, “I’m totally surprised! I think this is fabulous! Did you cook or did Chris?”

“He did, but I helped!”

Chris began to laugh softly at the interaction between Aiden and Harper. It was evident that the little boy adored his mother every bit as she adored him. He took the towel from his shoulders, wiped his hands dry and walked over to where Harper was standing. He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss and whispered in her ear, “There is more where that came from after the little one goes to bed.”

“I certainly hope so,” she responded. After taking another look around and walking into the kitchen to see what was cooking she commented, “I didn’t know you could cook, I can’t believe you did this. It was very thoughtful and sweet.”

“Well, there is still so much you have to learn about me!” He gave her a soft pat on her behind as he slung the dish towel back over his shoulder and checked on all of the pots on the stove. “I figured you wouldn’t want to cook, and I wanted to hear all about your day so it just made sense. Plus, it gave me time to hang out with Aiden. By the way, he told me you wouldn’t let him call me over to play.”

“I know; I am such a mean mommy!” She said in Aiden’s direction as he watched from the bar stool. She walked over to Chris, he wrapped his arm around her as she snuggled up to him with her head on his chest. “I’m not really sure how I got so lucky to have you come into our lives.” She looked up at him and smiled, “Please don’t ruin the moment and answer that.” They both laughed

“I was actually wondering how I got so lucky to leave my phone in Aiden’s room that day. If I hadn’t done that, I would have never met you.”

“So, what time did you get here and what time did Becky leave?”

Chris moved away from Harper, picking up the plates and silverware and handing them to Aiden. “Here buddy, can you please set the table for us?” Aiden nodded and got right to work, “Um, I got over here around 11:30, she left around noon. I talked to her around 9:30 because she helped determine what you did or did not have in the house for me to cook. Aiden, hey buddy tell your mom what you and I have been doing all day.” He had been coaching him all day on what to say; he was hoping he would pull it off correctly.

“Drinking, watching movies, and looking at cute girls on the internet!”

A smile spread across Harper’s face, “Wow, sounds like a full day!” She gave Chris a slight smile and a jab to the shoulder, “Searching girls on the Internet, eh? Maybe I need to limit your time with him after all.”

“Oh, you are more upset over the girls than the drinking and watching movies? Gee, I underestimated you.”

They both laughed, and she joined Chris in dishing up the meal and getting it to the table. The three of them sat down and began eating; it was like they were a family having dinner and it felt completely natural. Harper loved the chemistry between Chris and Aiden, they joked, played with one another, and sometimes it was hard to tell which one was really the kid.

Dinner was going well when there was a hard knock on the front door.

Chris was seated closest to the door so he made a move to answer it, “You aren’t expecting anyone are you?” Harper shook her head as he reached for the doorknob and turned to open the door.

Standing in the doorway with a dozen roses was Max Kincaid.

“What are you doing here?” Chris asked, the disdain for the man was evident in his voice.

“I could ask you the same question,” Max responded.

“Max? Hi, I didn’t know you were going to stop by,” Harper said as she placed her napkin on the table and stood.

“Well, it ruins the element of surprise if I warn you I’m coming over. I guess I should have called, though, looks like you’re already entertaining.” Without an invitation, Max stepped into the apartment and approached Harper. He set the roses on the table and held her shoulders while he kissed her cheek. “I wanted to hear all about your first day in the office. I haven’t talked to you in a few days.”

“Well, um, it went really well,” Harper flashed a look at Chris, who was not very happy at the intrusion.

Chris realized she had not told Max about their decision to date, and he knew she was uncomfortable. He kind of wanted to watch her squirm but figured it would be best to take the high road, letting her talk to Max and tell him the truth. “Aiden, why don’t we give your mom a few minutes to speak to Max; let’s go in the living room.”

Aiden was confused, but he walked into the living room with Chris. He whispered, “Do I get to finish eating after he leaves?”

“Yeah buddy, you’ll get to finish when he leaves.”

Harper watched as Chris and Aiden moved into the living room; she turned, motioning Max toward the kitchen. Figuring the farther away from the living room, the more privacy they would have in their conversation. “It was very sweet of you to stop by, I had actually planned on reaching out to you later tonight. Chris surprised me with dinner when I got home.” She fidgeted with the dish towel on the cabinet, the one that Chris had slung over his shoulder earlier in the evening.

“I thought you said you two weren’t dating? Am I missing something here? I mean I thought I was clear that I had feelings for you and wanted to pursue a relationship?”

She took a deep breath before beginning her response, “Max, when you asked me about it, Chris and I weren’t dating. But since the day we had lunch, things have changed, we’ve made the decision to start seeing one another.”

“You didn’t think I should know? Were you just stringing me along? How did you meet this guy and get so close in such a short period of time?”

“Chris was doing charity work at the hospital when he met Aiden. The two of them connected, since he’s Aiden’s favorite superhero, Chris started spending more and more time with him. When things got terrible for Aiden, Chris, and his mom started coming around more, we got close. I wasn’t looking for anything to happen, it just did.”

“He’s Aiden’s favorite superhero? That makes no sense, who is he supposed to be?”

“It’s funny that you don’t know who he is because I didn’t know either when I first met him. He’s Chris Evans, and he plays Captain America in the Marvel movies,” she waited a minute for it to sink in. Max glanced over his shoulder into the living room, staring at Chris, “It’s the beard, Max, it’s what threw me off, too. Anyway, the relationship just developed. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I was surprised when you said you had feelings for me, I wanted to see if I could feel that way. I’m sorry, I just don’t have the same feelings, I wasn’t misleading you.”

Max turned from her, walking toward the door, then paced back over to face her, “Wow, what a fool I am! I thought that by getting you hired on with Belinda that it would earn a bit of gratitude.” The tone of his voice was a tad above bitter and hateful.

“Now wait a minute, Max. You might have gotten me an interview, but my skills and qualifications got me the job. And let’s not forget why I was in the position to be looking for a job. You want gratitude from me for you firing me? You expect that I will repay you for helping me get a job by dating you and having sex?” He voice was rising, she was sincerely hoping that Chris and Aiden could not hear her, “You have the nerve, you really do.”

“I got you that job to make up for the mistake I made in firing you. I think it’s best that you remember that I can make a call and get you fired from that job.”

Harper made sure she was standing straight, her shoulders were square, she took a step and stood toe-to-toe with him. “And you just remember that I can make a phone call and sue your ass and own your company. Don’t mistake my quiet demeanor for stupidity.”

Max swallowed hard and took two steps backward, “You talk tough, but I don’t think you really have that in you, Harper.”

“I don’t believe that you want to test me, but if you feel lucky, go right ahead.”

He turned, walked to the door, opening it slowly and started to leave. He stopped, looking back at her, “Good luck with the job, and good luck with your career.”

“Thank you, Max, I hope you really mean that.”

The door closed softly as he left the apartment and Harper let out a breath she did not remember holding. She was startled when she heard the applause and whistles from the living room. She turned and noticed Aiden standing on the couch, “Yeah Mom, you were awesome!”

Harper began to smile and walk towards the living room, Chris met her halfway and pulled her into an embrace, “You did the right thing, sweetie. I’m proud of you for standing up to him. I have your back, no matter what happens next with the job, okay?”

~*~  
“Harper! We are going to be late if you don’t hurry up! I am sure you look beautiful, but we have got to go!” Chris yelled as he stood with Aiden at the front door of the apartment.

It had been three months since they started dating. Tonight was important, though; Harper and Aiden were joining the Evans family for midnight mass, then spending the night so they could celebrate Christmas morning. Harper was so nervous about this, even though she had met his family and spent time with them; it was important to look perfect for Christmas. She took a deep breath, stepped out of the bedroom, flipping off the light as she exited.

As she approached the guys at the door, she heard Aiden speak. “Whoa, mom you sure do look pretty!”

She walked over to her son and bent down to give him a kiss on his head. “Thank you, sweetie, you are quite handsome you know.”

Aiden’s hair had started to grow back, and he was finally putting on weight. He was getting back to his “normal” look. His cancer was in remission, and his strength was coming back to 100 percent. He had been back in school for two months; she had wanted to wait and start him in January, but he had been insistent that he go back right away. She hated to admit it, but it was the right thing to do; being back in school and around other kids had helped in his recovery. The school had informed his classmates and their parents about his situation so they could know about his circumstances. It provided a teaching opportunity as well as a preemptive strike against teasing or bullying since Aiden would be different. The kids were great, and every day Aiden had a story about a new friend. The only restriction Harper had imposed was that Aiden’s relationship with Chris was off-limits. He was not allowed to talk about it with anyone, no exceptions!

Aiden didn’t understand that kids would want to be his friend just so they could meet Chris. He did notice that his friends loved his Marvel collection; they were jealous that he had so much stuff. The only thing he could say was that his mom’s boyfriend got all of it for him. It wasn’t a lie, but it just wasn’t the entire truth. He was allowed to keep out the framed photograph of him with Chris, the one where they met in the hospital that first day. Chris had been kind enough to autograph it, the framed photo sat on his desk. His friends thought it was cool that he met him, they just couldn’t know anything else.

Chris cleared his throat, “The boy is spot on, you sure do look pretty!” He walked over to meet Harper and gave her a kiss, “Ok, you were definitely worth the wait; but we have to go.”

“Do you have the bags and the gifts?”

“Baby, they were loaded in the car an hour ago,” Chris opened the door, escorted Harper and Aiden to the car. They drove in virtual silence on their way to St Anselms in Sudbury for that night’s mass. Chris pulled to the curb, letting Harper and Aiden out while he went to park the car; they waited for him right inside the church. Once inside, he escorted them down the side aisle to where his family was seated. Harper took the opportunity to say an extra prayer for Chris being in her life and the happiness he had brought into their lives.

~*~  
Chris was having a hard time sleeping – his excitement for Christmas matched that of his niece and nephews. It had always been his favorite holiday. However, this year he had already received his present, she was lying in bed next to him. He watched her sleep, the soft rise and fall of her chest with each breath, her hair falling gently across the pillow. He was so happy with her, even when she frustrated him before they began officially dating. She was a challenge, and he liked it. He wanted to touch her, trace his fingers across her shoulder and down her arm; hoping his touch would set her skin on fire. He would intensify her feelings by placing kisses down the path where his fingers had traced. He wanted to gently roll her onto her back and look into her eyes as he made love to her, he wanted to have her grip his shoulders as he pushed her over the edge screaming his name. The problem was he was in mom’s house, and she would wake up the entire family, that was not a show he wanted to give on Christmas Eve. He adjusted himself and rolled over in the hopes that by not looking at her he would be able to drift off to sleep.

It evidently worked, because when Chris opened his eyes, the clock read 6:55 am, and he was alone in bed. He got up, dressed and headed downstairs; Harper was sitting at the kitchen table with his mom and sister.

“Well, good morning sleepy head!” Lisa commented as he entered the kitchen.

“Morning, how long have you guys been down here? And are the kids still sleeping or did I miss all the commotion?” Chris kissed Harper’s cheek, taking a seat at the table next to her. He reached for the coffee, pouring himself a cup.

“We’ve been down here about 30 minutes or so, your girl was the first to wake up,” Carly grinned. “And the kids are still asleep, we’re trying to keep them upstairs as long as possible. Besides, Scott and Shanna aren’t up yet either.”

“I didn’t want to wake you, I was having trouble sleeping so I tried to be quiet and come downstairs. But I think I woke your mom.”

“Nah, I wasn’t asleep either. I think I’m too excited for the kids to open their presents.”

Moments later, Ryan, Scott, and Shanna came downstairs, and the family made sure the final touches were ready for the festivities. At 8 am Carly and Harper went upstairs to wake the kids while Chris and Ryan were charged with documenting their reactions when they came down the stairs. The Evans family had been insistent that Aiden gets to participate in a big family Christmas. With the struggles that they had overcome during the year, it was only fair that Aiden gets to experience the joy of the holiday.

The kids all loved their presents, and sufficient pictures and video were taken to document the day. Harper joked that it would be the second directorial project for Chris. She wanted to see if he had what it took to be the director and cinematographer. The adults had stuck to their rule of no gifts; well most of them had; Harper had bought small gifts for the Evans family as a token of gratitude for their support.

After finishing Christmas dinner and cleaning up the mess, everyone moved into the family room to gather around the fireplace and watch Christmas movies. However, Chris excused himself from the group and took Harper’s hand, leading her into the living room where they could be alone.

“What are you doing? Don’t you want to snuggle in and watch the movies with everyone?”

“Yes, but there is something I need to do first.” He sat on the couch and pulled her down next to him.

“Look, I know we weren’t going to exchange gifts, and I broke the rule. But you can’t get mad at me, you broke it, too!” He winked and then turned to open the small drawer in the side table; being careful so that Harper could not see what he was retrieving. He held his hands closed so that she could not see what he had; she was getting nervous. “I’ve been working on this gift for a few weeks, I really hope you like it.”

Chris took her hand and placed a long, thin box into her hand. The box was only about 3.5 inches long so it wasn’t big enough for a necklace or bracelet; she was stumped. She pulled on the thin red ribbon around the box and slowly lifted the lid.

“A key? I am confused Chris.”

“Well, you see I could tell you something really goofy like that is the key to my heart, but I’d be afraid you would smack me for that,” he mocked. “Seriously, I figured that since our relationship was serious that it was about time that I got a place of my own. I can’t have you over here because of the lack of privacy, and I can’t keep hanging out just at your house. So I bought a house, and this is your key to it.”

“You bought a house? How in the world did you keep this quiet?”

“Well, I am kind of hoping it will be ‘our’ house. Harper, I would like for you and Aiden to move in with me. Now, I know you are going to say we are moving too fast, you’re unsure about this. Believe me, I’ve heard your voice in my head every time I’ve started to rehearse what I was going to say. But I have to leave in January and February for a few award show appearances, then I launch a press tour in April and a movie shoot in May. I want to come home to my house and have you there, no more traveling to your apartment or you coming to my house and worrying about a sitter for Aiden.”

“I don’t know what to say,” She was trying to select her words, not wanting to ruin the moment but needing to be realistic as well. “I mean, things are going well, but I figured when you started to go back to the Hollywood life you would forget about us. I was afraid to be optimistic that this was as serious as it felt. This, well this means you’re really serious?”

“I’m totally serious; I’m not leaving you when I go back to work; I’m just going to do my job, but I’ll come home to you. We’ll not see a whole lot of one another for stretches of time, I don’t want to waste precious moments when I’m home traveling between our places.”

“I’m overwhelmed, seriously, I didn’t expect this.”

“Well, you’re going to say there is an obstacle because of school for Aiden. That will be one of your concerns in moving, and I totally understand. However, the schools over here are great, I think it would be an excellent idea for you to leave him where he is to finish out the school year. After all, you still have to travel over there for work. You could put him in the schools over here next school year.”

“You really have thought this through haven’t you?” It was Harper’s turn to smile, and she tried to wipe her eyes before the tears began to trickle down her cheek, “What did I do to deserve you?”

“I ask myself that question every day!” He quipped, reaching up with his thumb, he wiped her tears away and gently kissed where they had fallen. “You know, I’m really the lucky one in this relationship. I want to do all I can to hold onto you and not let my work life mess up what we have.”

“So are you going to tell me about our new house?”

“I am going to do one better, you want to go see it?” Chris stood, reaching for her hand to help her up from the couch. “I don’t want to tell Aiden yet, I want you to see it first because this is your Christmas present, I don’t want to share this moment with anyone else.”

Chris went into the family room, told everyone that he was taking Harper for a quick ride, they’d be back shortly. His mom was the only one who knew his secret. He walked her to the car, opened the door, making sure she was settled before easing himself behind the wheel.

“Before you pull out of the driveway, how close will we be living to your mom?”

“We’ll be a few blocks away; close enough but not too close.”

Chris drove to the house, Harper had no clue where he had driven to; she was not as familiar with Sudbury, but she had a feeling that would change very quickly. She was, however, a little worried when he stopped, he didn’t pull into a drive. The street was tree-lined, it made it difficult to see the houses; the street lights did not offer much help either. The street was quiet, and that was a definite plus.

Chris came around, helping her out of the car, walking her up a long and winding walkway. She was still having trouble making out the specifics of the house. The only thing she could tell for certain was that the house didn’t have a big wrap around porch like she had always dreamed of having. Chris opened the door, led her inside, flipped a light switch, and the house came alive.

He had placed a large Christmas tree with white lights in the living room next to the fireplace. Directly in front of the fireplace, to the right of the tree was a blanket with a champagne chiller and two glasses. He had thought of everything, it seemed. He reached down, grabbed the bottle, popped the cork and poured a perfect glass and handed it to her. Clinking his glass to hers, he leaned in, kissed her softly, whispering in her ear, "Welcome home, Harper."

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is a complete work of fiction - I do not know Chris Evans or his mother. The other characters are fictional and any resemblance to any persons are purely coincidental.


End file.
